Lowe's Robot Workers Heading To Stores In San Francisco

Lowe's has introduced the 'LoweBot' robots and says it plans to roll them out in stores in San Francisco soon. The LoweBot is a NAVii autonomous robot designed for retail service by Fellow Robots, according to Lowe's, which says the robo-workers will roll out in a total of 11 stores located in the San Francisco Bay Area this autumn. The company says its previous OSHbot tests, which we detailed in late 2014, were successful.

The LoweBot doesn't look humanoid, do don't get your hopes up about a Terminator-like assistant. Rather, LoweBot somewhat resembles a machine you'd find in a kiosk, only it is far more capable and mobile. Starting this month, the robo-worker will be rolled out in Bay Area Lowe's stores across a seven month span, aiding human workers and customers alike.

When it arrives, the LoweBot will be able to answer simple questions asked by customers, giving human employees time to do more pressing things. The LoweBot will also be able to scan the current inventory levels and aid the store in recognizing where there might be a gap in products or seeing any relevant patterns that could influence future inventory decisions.

According to Fellow Robots' CEO Marco Mascorro:

We designed the NAVii robot to make the shopping experience easier for consumers – simplifying the process of finding the product you're looking for – while also managing the back-end and keeping shelf inventory up-to-date for the retailer. Leaving the data and simple recommendations to NAVii allows Lowe's employees to devote their attention to the Lowe's customer, to provide them with thoughtful advice and personalized service.

SOURCE: Lowe's