Agibot Puts Six Humanoid Robots Through a 24-Hour Convenience Store Test

Shanghai-based robotics company Agibot is running six of its G2 humanoid robots through a 24-hour convenience store demonstration, assigning them tasks that range from stocking shelves to preparing food, according to a Humanoids Daily report. The livestreamed test began Nov. 2 and was scheduled to end Nov. 3, China time. Over that span the robots were assigned to greet customers, make coffee, serve hot food, organize merchandise and collect trash. Organizers designed the run to cover lunch and evening rushes, overnight operations and breakfast preparation, testing how the machines handle shifting demand across a full store day. The demonstration offers an extended look at robots working around customers, merchandise and service counters rather than in isolated lab conditions. Humanoids Daily noted, however, that the livestream does not establish that each robot can operate independently without interruption or human assistance. For vending and micro market operators, the test is a signal about where unattended retail labor is heading. Robotic stocking and food preparation sit at the center of the staffing problem convenience services operators face in overnight and low-traffic locations, and several automated retail companies already market machines that pair robotic arms with refrigerated merchandising. The gap between a livestreamed demo and reliable unattended operation remains the practical question, and one the industry has heard before: AI vending has repeatedly shown promise in controlled tests while falling short of round-the-clock reliability in the field. Source: Vending Times — https://www.vendingtimes.com/news/agibot-puts-six-robots-through-24-hour-convenience-store-test/