Robots and artificial intelligence has been starting to trickle into retail stores across the US. Grocery stores in particular are taking advantage of these new technologies and they may be in a store near you! This article will talk about two different robots that are being implemented in grocery stores and warehouses and what this means for their human counterparts.
Giant Food Stores
The grocery store chain, Giant, has implemented their own robot that roams around stores looking for trouble. Marty is one of the latest robots to hit grocery stores in and around Pennsylvania. Marty has a multitude of tasks he can complete and is always in communication with real human employees to ensure safety and efficiency. Marty has the ability to scan prices on products and compare them to the store’s scanning system to ensure the correct price on products. Marty is equipped with 8 different cameras that help him navigate through the world as well as identify potential hazards such as spills. Once a hazard is detected, Marty informs customers of the danger by stating “caution, hazard detected.” Marty then notifies humans through an electronic system so they can take care of it.
Walmart
Robotics company Bossanova has supplied about fifty Walmart stores with a similar robot such as Marty. The robot scans prices and products in the store then stores information to know where products are and to tell how much of a product is out on the floor. The robot can save time from human employees taking unnecessary trips to the back of their stores and more time focusing on customer service. Walmart is planning on releasing other types of robots in their stores whose main function would be scrubbing and cleaning floors of the store.
The Future is Robots
The potential for retailers to use robots for the mundane and tricky tasks can ease up a lot of time where employees can focus on the customer and other administrative duties. The potential for robots in grocery stores is huge and businesses like Walmart and Giant are looking for more ways to streamline their process whether it be through a customer-facing aspect like Marty, in behind the scenes, stacking boxes in their warehouses are awesome speeds.