Shelf-scanning robots to help retailers grow profit

Called Tally, the bot monitors shelves for out-of-stock items, low stock items, misplaced items, and pricing errors, operating alongside shoppers and employees. The Simbe Robotics solution can consist of one or more robots that travel around large stores and audit shelves in a cheaper and faster way than traditionally and with near-perfect accuracy, says Simbe Robotics.

Tally, which requires no prior infrastructure changes to the store, comes with a cloud-powered software platform and API. The data captured by the robot is sent to the cloud for processing and analysis and then exposed through both an API and front-end application alongside specific recommendations to improve store performance to key stakeholders.

Tally is also equipped with a charging dock that it can autonomously navigate back to between scans which allows for continuous operation. Additionally, the device, which is built upon the open source Robot Operating System (ROS), can be integrated into the retailers’ existing IT systems. The robot’s overall height is variable, depending on the retailer's shelf height requirements.

According to Simbe Robotics, global retailers lose nearly USD 450 bln annually as a result of out-of-stock items, empty shelves, and other in-store inconsistencies. While Tally is claimed to be the world’s first in-store inventory-checking autonomous robot, mobile bots have been used by some retailers on the shop floor before.