Iván Hernández Dalas: Robots show tenacity in retail

Ricoh showed its service robots for retail at NRF.

Ricoh showed its comprehensive service systems for retail at NRF. Credit: Georges Mirza

Like every NRF in the recent past, on-shelf availability systems were exhibited throughout the retail event’s show floor. Solutions ranged from robots to fixed cameras and handheld devices.

Most of these products are now over a decade in the making. Although significant progress has been slow, vendors have demonstrated persistence and determination in developing their capabilities to deliver inventory data accurately and repeatedly at scale, while striving to improve speed.

Although we are not at the vast coverage needed for meaningful use of the data, we are at the cusp of realizing it and for large retailers to give it a second look. Tomorrow is not soon enough.

As every year, the question arises: Which solution is best? The answer always returns to the basics. What problem are you trying to solve, in what environment, and for which categories? No single technology does it all. Ultimately, multiple systems must work together to create a frictionless and satisfying in-store experience for the shopper.

SITE AD for the 2025 Robotics Summit registration. Register today to save 40% on conference passes!

Retail robots show maturity

Simbe Robotics has positioned itself as a leader in robotic shelf data collection. It strategically communicates in conferences and social media, systematically announcing and showcasing its advancements. The company said it has the largest number of retail banners for a robot solution globally.

Around NRF in New York, Simbe announced the release of Tally Spot, a fixed camera. This addition to Tally and Tally RFID means that Simbe now covers all aspects of on-shelf, availability-based insight systems.

Certainly, one advantage of adding a fixed camera is to build up and leverage processing capabilities. Why is the timing of this announcement interesting? We are starting to see wider chainwide adoption and success of shelf-fixed cameras.

Simbe introduced the Tally Spot Fixed camera system, shown here at the National Retail Federation's latest show.

Simbe introduced the Tally Spot Fixed camera system at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Although not exhibiting, Badger Technologies attended the show and shared its recent progress and successes. It continues to have the largest rollout of shelf-based robotics at a single retailer. I was informed that the company will have news to announce shortly, but it chose not to exhibit at NRF until it is ready.

Brain Corp was available off-site at the Classic Car Club adjacent to the Javits Center. The company has the largest robot rollout with its floor-sweeping robot and recently entered the shelf insights space.

Brain Corp also shared a video of its new project, Brawn, a mobile manipulator that picks products from the shelf. Finally, someone went public with what I consider the next phase of the robot journey in retail and fulfilling its destined purpose. Could Brain be trying to leapfrog current technologies?

Not your typical robot

A company that has consistently topped my list is Spacee. After navigating a year filled with what I will call “startup challenges,” it made a significant showing at NRF in collaboration with Spar.

Spacee’s shelf system involves a robot that travels through a tube mounted on the opposite shelf, capturing images and videos of the corresponding planogram and processing them for valuable shelf insights. Spar Group handles all merchandising activities at the store level on behalf of brands and retailers.

This could be what Spacee needs to highlight its unique features and expand its presence among retailers. The computer vision and artificial intelligence company’s smart shelf technology, integrated with Spar’s back-end tools, could provide a comprehensive, end-to-end solution.

Spacee's shelf-based moving robot at NRF 2025.

Spacee’s shelf-based moving robot at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Many many possibilities for retail

I could not help but notice Vusion‘s significant and prominent presence, showcasing its capabilities, from electronic shelf labeling (ESL) to shelf cameras. Through acquisitions, the company has been growing its portfolio and providing a more complete solution. 

It demonstrated various use cases of on-shelf availability, including fresh produce. Vusion made an impressive showing of capabilities in one central exhibit, all focused on the shelf.

I noticed a new addition — the extended use of e-paper for shelf and aisle signs. In addition to Vusion, and BrightSign displayed a similar capability. Although the unit cost is still high, I believe this will become more mainstream over time, as it is also a valuable component of retail media at the store level and personalization of the shopper experience.

Vusion fixed camera for retailer Fresh at NRF 2025.

Vusion fixed camera for Fresh. Credit: Georges Mirza

Focal Systems is building on its latest success, the chain-wide rollout of over 500 Morrisons stores. This marks the largest rollout of fixed cameras at a single retailer worldwide, thus beginning to demonstrate scale.

Last year, Focal Systems underwent a leadership change and updated its company image to reflect that. It showed off its new version of fixed-shelf cameras at the conference, which are slimmer, high-resolution, and designed to provide more detailed insights.

Focal Systems showed its new shelf camera at NRF 2025.

Focal Systems showed its new shelf camera at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

I was intrigued by the new collaboration between Zebra Technologies and Target, which involves embedding computer vision capabilities onto Zebra devices for on-shelf product detection. Although this is yet another image data collection product, it has the advantage of Zebra’s wide industry presence in handheld devices used by store associates.

Target is collaborating with Zebra.

Target is collaborating with Zebra. Credit: Georges Mirza

At your service

The Temi service robot at NRF 2025.

The Temi service robot at NRF 2025. Credit: Georges Mirza

Are we witnessing a reemergence of service robots in stores? Indeed, the latest advancements in robotic platforms and computer vision make these solutions more practical and less gimmicky.

At NRF, I encountered Temi, which is offered through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model. It can perform various tasks in applications, from healthcare and food service to retail. Its immediate application in retail is to act as a guide, assisting shoppers and answering their questions. 

The robot appeared friendly yet robust. The market is much more receptive to this than it was a decade ago.

Bring order to chaos

With the accelerating growth of technology at the store and shelf levels, I do not foresee a slowdown anytime soon. However, installing, monitoring, and servicing everything from the back of the store to the shelf, floor to ceiling, presents a challenge.

I came across Ricoh at NRF and learned about its “Service Advantage” offering. The company has a process for servicing all hardware at the store and a platform for monitoring and ensuring optimal performance.

Ricoh's complete technology service, as presented at NRF.

Ricoh’s complete technology service. Source: Ricoh

Reflection: The future of the retail technology landscape

The initial excitement over new technology at stores is slowly fading, and the focus is shifting to the value that hardware and software provide and the problems they solve. Product maturity and market readiness are beginning to emerge. Partnerships and consolidation will continue to intensify in order to deliver comprehensive solutions to retailers.

Differentiation will center around the solution layer built on sensors. Traditional tool makers must rapidly invest to leverage and accommodate these new and large datasets for AI. Most newcomers will consider building versus partnering with traditional players.

When these innovations can accurately and repeatedly deliver actionable data at scale, they will transform the space, rendering some practices and systems obsolete. The rest will become more intelligent and capable of realizing the management category’s return-on-investment promise of making retailers more effective. Are you making it a top priority?

Georges MirzaAbout the author

Georges Mirza has looked ahead at trends in developing transformative systems for the retail and consumer packaged goods (CPG) markets. He established a roadmap for robotic indoor data collection, image recognition, and analytics for retail to address out-of-stocks, inventory levels, and compliance.

Having previously managed portfolios of space and category management solutions at Nielsen, Blue Yonder, and SymphonyAI Retail CPG, Mirza advises companies on strategizing and prioritizing their roadmaps for growth. Follow him on LinkedIn or Twitter.

The post Robots show tenacity in retail appeared first on The Robot Report.



View Source

Popular posts from this blog

Iván Hernández Dalas: How Health Care Organizations Can Thwart Cyberattacks

Image
Ransomware and other types of cyberattacks are striking health care systems at an increasing rate. More than one in three health care organizations around the world reported ransomware attacks last year, according to a survey of IT professionals by security company Sophos . About 40 percent of the nearly 330 respondents from the health care sector that weren't attacked last year said they expect to be hit in the future. In the United States, the FBI , the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency , and the Department of Health and Human Services were so concerned with the increase in cyberattacks on hospitals and other health care providers that in October they issued a joint advisory warning of the "increased and imminent cybercrime threat." But the health care field isn't helpless against cyber threats. The IEEE Standards Association Healthcare and Life Sciences Practice —which is focused on clinical health, the biopharmaceutical value chain, and welln...
Read more

Iván Hernández Dalas: Study: Almost 70% Think Some Companies Will Go Too Far With AI

Image
A new report today highlights anxiety that U.S. consumers have over the possibility of artificial intelligence going too far. Despite advances in robotics and self-driving cars, a majority of Americans reported mixed feelings about the benefits of AI, according to a study by Elicit. In its 14-page report titled “ Artificial Intelligence and the Very Real, Real-World Anxiety it Causes, ” the research consultancy found that news reports over intelligent personal assistants that have “gone rogue,” as well as Facebook’s misuse of personal data, have created distrust among consumers. Approximately seven out of 10 (73%) think that some companies will go too far with AI, and another six out of 10 “are concerned with how companies will use AI and the information they have to engage with them.”   This year, RoboBusiness includes four conferences to make it easier for you to find the information you need most. Whether you are involved in running a robotics business, designing product...
Read more

Iván Hernández Dalas: How a WWII-era Plan may Provide a Robotics, AI Blueprint for Manufacturing in the Heartland

Image
Most experts agree that revitalizing manufacturing in the U.S. will require some combination of automation, artificial intelligence, and robotics, but the blueprint to achieve this for many smaller and midsize manufacturers remains elusive. Next week, industry leaders and officials from federal, state, and local government will gather in York, Pa., to discuss the impacts of AI, robotics, and technologies that will transform tomorrow’s workforce, especially in traditional “heartland” cities and towns. The Blueprint York event , produced by VentureBeat, will take place March 26-28, at The Strand Theater in York, a south-central Pennsylvania city that’s about 100 miles west of Philadelphia, and 26 miles south of the state’s capital, Harrisburg. The Blueprint events were started by VentureBeat following the 2016 election to help discover areas of technology and economic development beyond the East and West coasts of the U.S. The first event was held in Reno, Nev., in 2018, with this year...
Read more