Tesco is trialling an AI-powered robot that patrols supermarket aisles looking for empty shelves, pricing mistakes and misplaced products.
The retailer has begun testing Simbe Robotics’ autonomous Tally robot in one UK store, with plans to extend the trial to a small number of additional locations.
The life-sized machine independently roams the aisles using artificial intelligence, computer vision and advanced sensors to continuously monitor shelves without staff having to carry out manual checks, as reported by What’s The Jam.
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According to Simbe, Tally can identify out-of-stock products, pricing errors and items displayed in the wrong location before sending prioritised reports to store colleagues so issues can be resolved more quickly.
Industry expert Toby Pickard, Retail Futures Senior Partner at IGD, revealed the trial after spotting the robot operating inside a Tesco store.
In a LinkedIn post, he said the move marks Tesco’s first deployment of autonomous shelf-scanning technology and only the second time a major UK supermarket has trialled the system.
He also noted that the robot is just one of several recent technology investments by the retailer.
“This marks a first for Tesco in the UK and only the second time we’ve seen a major UK retailer trialling autonomous shelf-scanning technology,” he wrote.
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“Rather than relying on manual audits, the robot captures shelf conditions multiple times a day and provides store teams with prioritised action lists via mobile apps and digital or printed reports.
“The goal is simple: resolve issues faster, improve inventory accuracy, and free up colleagues to spend more time serving customers.”
Tally has already been deployed by retailers in several countries around the world.
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Last year, Morrisons became the first UK supermarket to trial the robot, introducing it at stores in Wetherby, Redcar and Stockton.
The robot stood around 5ft 4in tall and navigates shop floors without assistance, using sensors to detect customers and obstacles so it can safely move around trolleys and shoppers.
It’s being reported that the latest robot used for the Tesco trial is ‘6.5ft-tall’ instead.
During the Morrisons trial, the robot was used to monitor shelf availability, check product placement and help ensure pricing and promotional information was displayed correctly.
The technology was introduced to reduce the amount of time colleagues spent carrying out routine shelf inspections, allowing them to spend more time helping customers instead.
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