Wal-Mart Floor Cleaning and Complex Environments

Note the claim of being able to operate ' ... to effectively and safely function in complex, crowded environments, ensuring increased productivity and efficiency across applications .... '  That is,  in the same environments as people.   This will grow as a challenge to get robots cooperating with people, passively or actively ...

Walmart Leads the Way...in Floor Scrubbing Robots? 
in ZDNet    by Greg Nichols, with Video

By the end of next month, Walmart will deploy floor-scrubbing robots programmed to map out pathways via demonstration through the BrainOS operating system (OS) from Brain Corp. Store associates will walk the stores’ floors, guiding the robots along a quick demonstration route. Afterwards, BrainOS will take over to scan the area to be cleaned, while monitoring for people or new obstacles using onboard sensors. Said Brain Corp.'s Eugene Izhikevich, "BrainOS technology allows robots to effectively and safely function in complex, crowded environments, ensuring increased productivity and efficiency across applications." The scrubbing robots are the latest artificial intelligence solution explored by Walmart, as the retailer also uses robots from the Bossa Nova hardware company to scan shelves and aggregate customer activity in select retail outlets. ... "

Computer Vision Analyzes the Store Shelf

We looked at this same problem in a number of ways, but not automated the way this suggests.  Note it has yet to be connected to existing cameras or robotics.

Trax raises $125 million to bring computer vision insights to retailers’ shelves
By Paul Sawers @PSAWERS  in Venturebeat

Trax, a computer vision platform that gives retailers insights into what’s happening on their store shelves, has raised $125 million in a series E round of funding led by Chinese investment firm Boyu Capital. Somewhat oddly, U.K.-based media publisher DC Thomson also participated in the investment round.

Founded in 2010, Singapore-based Trax helps digitize store aisles through image-capturing technology that serves up data and analytics on consumer packaged goods (CPG) on shelves. It may save employees from manually auditing stock for inventory and product promotions, for example. It can also help retailers make product placement decisions by providing a snapshot of what goods are where, and whether they could be shifted to a better position.

The Trax platform ultimately recreates physical store shelves in digital form to guide product and marketing decisions, and big-name clients such as Coca-Cola and Nestle are already using the platform.

While Trax’s technology currently requires capturing images manually via mobile devices, the company said it’s currently working on several pilot projects to provide continuous shelf-tracking via connected cameras that are mounted on coolers or robots and capture images at pre-set intervals. .... " 

Wal-Mart Ups Robot Mileage

Technology Review writes that Robot mileage has been considerable for the Wal-Mart large scale robot test. Reported consumer interaction is interesting, similar what we say in laboratory tests.   Short piece.    " ... Walmart’s shelf-scanning robots have been on the move. In the four months since the company announced it was deploying them in 50 of its stores, the automated (and vaguely llama-looking) machines have traveled nearly 2,000 miles through the aisles. ... " 

Robots Patrolling Walmart Aisles

More on Wal-Mart's Bossa Nova Robotics.  Value and customer impact.  Once again out of stock transparency leads the march for such technology.    We examined many approaches to address this.  Interview.   But once the robots are there, what other capabilities can be leveraged?  Customer reaction is also important, have been in retail lately where order assembly carts started to crowd the aisle, have to watch for that dynamic.

Walmart’s new robots are loved by staff—and ignored by customers
Bossa Nova is creating robotic coworkers for the retail world.   by Erin Winick in Technology Review

Walmart may be grabbing headlines for its embrace of cutting-edge technologies, but at the heart of those changes are companies like Bossa Nova. The San Francisco-based robotics firm created the robots now roaming the aisles in 50 Walmart locations around the US.

Bossa Nova’s robots are able to perform tasks such as identifying when items are out of stock, locating incorrect prices, and detecting wrong or missing labels. We spoke to Martin Hitch, chief business officer at Bossa Nova, about the technology behind the machines and how they are being received by shoppers and employees. .... " 

More on Wal-Marts Bossa Nova Bots among the Shelves

One of my favorite topics.  How will robots be effectively used in real life environments, contexts?  Note 3D imaging.   And how do you get a count of what is behind?  More at the Bossa Nova Tag.

Walmart Deploys Robots to More Stores
By Patrycja Malinowska - 11/14/2017  in CGT 

Originally published by Path to Purchase Institute .... 

A small test of shelf-scanning robots has gone well enough that Walmart is adding upgraded units to 50 additional stores.

The fully autonomous bots employ 3D imaging to dodge obstacles while roving the aisles to check for stock levels, pricing and misplaced items. The robots pass their shelf data to store employees, who then stock the shelves and fix any errors.

Walmart is hoping applying artificial intelligence and robotics will help it combat stock issues, replenish inventory faster and broaden the assortment available to online shoppers while freeing up employees for other tasks.

The machines are from San Francisco-based Bossa Nova Robotics, stand approximately two feet tall and are equipped with a tower fitted with cameras. They are 50% more productive and can scan shelves significantly more accurately than their human counterparts, Jeremy King, chief technology officer for Walmart U.S. and e-commerce, told Reuters.  .... " 

Wal-Mart and Bossa Nova Robotics

Much more on Wal-Mart's testing of robotics for in store tasks in 50 stores, such as scanning, auditing and stocking decision support.   The shelf can become smart through external scanning.  Also mention of a company Bossa Nova Robotics, which is being tested.  Quite more at the Bossa Nova site, including video of their systems in operation.   No indication of interactions with shoppers.   Very much retail oriented, they write: 

" ... Safe & friendly

A store is a busy place, so we know how important it is that our robot has a sense of its surroundings. That’s why it can detect objects in an aisle, like boxes, your cart, even you! It will wait for you to pass and then keep scanning the shelves when all is clear.

Here to help

Our robot takes care of the tedious shelf-auditing tasks, allowing employees to focus on more important things like… you! It also provides vital information about different departments, making your store run smoother and more efficiently. Associates say they can’t imagine life without it.

Shelf focused

The action is on the shelves side! To make sure you always find your favorite chips, our robot scans the shelves diligently and reports what is missing.  Its sole job is finding empty spaces on shelves and keeping those chips available for you.  .... 

They make in an interesting suggestion:

 ... Nice to meet you


Look out for your new neighborhood robot on your next visit to your local store. Feel free to snap a selfie and post it on Instagram. Don’t forget to copy us   @BNRobotics  .... " 

Video Example:   https://video.twimg.com/tweet_video/DNJjrCbUEAE2aPb.mp4

See the comparison to solutions like: Storeflix.  Simpler, but less automated.