Sportmaster, the leading sporting goods retailer in Russia, has successfully tested a prototype of a robotic merchandiser developed by a Russian scientific group, FIOP Rusnano. The tests were carried out by R2 Robotics, a startup belonging to the state-owned Rusnano Group.
R2 Robotics’ robot merchandiser receives information to move around the sales area or the warehouse using machine vision. The device takes panoramic 3D photos, remotely assessing whether the products are correctly displayed in the store and whether the shelves have been sufficiently replenished.
The robot also collects data on the availability of specific products in the sales area and the chain’s warehouses by reading RFID tags. This makes it possible to carry out an inventory at any time, receiving up-to-date information on the quantity of goods in the store and its location in the sales area.
“Retail robotization is a growing trend in the industry, driven by the need to maintain retailers’ margins. The use of automated merchandising in brick-and-mortar stores based on autonomous robots frees up staff, increases the speed of processing online applications, and increases sales,” commented Vasily Dubas, CEO of R2 Robotics, adding that the Covid-19 pandemic is providing an additional argument for the implementation of robots in the retail sector.
The company’s robot merchandiser was specially designed by taking into account the peculiarities of the retail market. It can adapt to changes in the retail environment, checking for example the movement of people in the sales area, glass and mirror objects, display cases and shelving. It independently creates a map of the premises, on which the store manager will mark the inspection route.
According to R2 Robotics, robotic merchandisers are going to be an integral part of omnichannel systems that will be used by the world’s leading brands and retailers over the next three to five years.
