Some analysts, however, say it's because many e-commerce sites are little more than online catalogs. What's missing is browsing, where random items catch your eye and other stimuli prompt you to make purchases, planned or otherwise.
Cooper says shopping via robotic cameras really is the next best thing to being there.
Cooper runs a company called Perceptual Robotics Inc . You can pan, tilt, and zoom the cameras without additional software or plug-ins. The flagship of PRI's TrueLook technology is the website of Gallery Furniture, Inc . PRI has installed 48 interactive cameras throughout the Houston furniture retailer's 35,000 square-foot showroom. But it gives you a glimpse of the future.