Finding yourself at the supermarket in complete solitude (perhaps at night or very early) can be sad. Could the presence of a robot that arranges the shelves reduce this sensation, if you knew that "behind" him there was a human shop assistant who piloted him remotely?
A startup from Tokyo, la Telexistence, recently unveiled a new robot called Model-T, an advanced teleoperative humanoid capable of using tools and grabbing a wide range of objects. It is yet another step in the direction of the automatic supermarket.
The Japanese chain of convenience stores FamilyMart plans to test the Model-T to replenish the shelves in about twenty stores within the next two years.
How does it work?
During the process, a human “pilot” operates the robot remotely, handling items such as drink bottles, rice balls, sandwiches and classic Japanese “bento boxes”.
The remote salesman views the products, can divide them into the various sectors and arrange them on the shelves, while remaining at home or in any case in remote places from the point of sale.
A solution similar to the one developed by Voyage. It is the startup that hired “remote taxi drivers” to employ them in its mobility service for the elderly.
The era of the automatic supermarket
With Model-T and AWP, FamilyMart and TX aim to realize a completely new point-of-sale operation within the framework of an automatic supermarket.
The objective is to automate and/or make the work of managing and replenishing goods remote. A task that requires a large number of hours of work.
Other experiments in fact include "boys" not remotely piloted but totally autonomous, like the robot Marty.
In summary: Telexistence's vision is that stores can operate with fewer workers.
Most importantly (crucial in a world that relies on smartworking) is having the ability to recruit employees regardless of the physical location of the store.
