Despite various short-lived efforts over the years, most retail shopping carts are impressively low-tech. And they almost always have a wheel out of alignment (or are those just the ones I always seem to get?). But a new patent issued to Walmart paints a futuristic vision, with carts driving themselves from the parking lot right to the customer who called for it.

Even if Walmart actually chooses to manufacturer and deploy such carts — many patents never get productized — it will be a baby step toward making carts truly useful in retail. Carts could house navigational systems that could literally steer you toward the exact items on your list. For that matter, they could take “accidental” detours by high-margin items and offer you a coupon — as long as you’re right there.

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