Robot merchandiser Rusnano began to be used in SportMaster stores

2021: Menchandiser Robot Tests

In July 2021, it became known that the robot merchandiser began to be used in SportMaster stores. Tests were conducted by the R2 Robotics startup of the TechnoSpark and SIGMA nanocenters of the Rusnano Group Infrastructure and Educational Programs Fund (FIOP) investment network.

Robot merchandiser "Rusnano" began to be used in sports goods stores

R2 Robotics, a robot merchandiser, receives information for traveling through a trading room or warehouse using machine vision. The device takes panoramic 3D photos that allow you to remotely assess the correctness of the item in the store, its occupancy. The robot also collects data on the availability of goods in the trading room and in warehouses, reading RFID tags. This allows you to carry out an inventory at any time and receive up-to-date information about the amount of goods in the store and its location in the trading room. Thus, the manager can quickly find the goods in the hall by code.

Retail robotization is a growing trend in the industry due to the need to maintain the level of margin of retailers. Merchandising automation service in offline stores based on an autonomous robot, frees up staff, increases the speed of processing online applications, and increases sales. Recent events related to the pandemic provide an additional argument for the introduction of robots in retail, "said Vasily Dubas, CEO of R2 Robotics startup.

The robot merchandiser was specially designed taking into account the peculiarities of the retail market, and at any time can adjust to changes around itself: for example, the movement of people in the trading room, glass and mirror objects, windows and racks. He independently creates a map of the room on which the manager marks the inspection route.

The robot merchandiser is an integral part of omnichannel systems, which over the next 3- 5 years will be transferred to all the world's leading brands^[1]"

The robot creates a store map using the ROS VSLAM RTABMAP package. Use camera and lidar data to map and navigate.

According to the developers, their robot in real time  during the working day  and at night can collect data     on goods placed in trading rooms and warehouses of stores.  With data obtained from  R2, the accuracy of inventory  and merchandising increases to  98%.

A robot merchandiser is being developed for the retail market to help staff perform routine store inventory tasks, and the presence of a robot simplifies the control of product planograms, R2 Robotics said.

The introduction of the robot merchandiser into the operation of the store is as follows:

• the robot is brought to the store;
• it is launched for some time so that he independently creates a map of retail  and warehouse space,  as well as recognizes trading equipment;
• while the robot is being "mastered," the company's specialists install a dock in the store;
• data collected by R2 is visualized on the  commercial equipment map  and transferred  to your warehouse program; After completing the inventory, R2 itself returns to the  charging station.

According to TAdviser in R2 Robotics, the company plans to attract new investments (negotiations are underway with foreign partners) to finalize the product, manufacture robots and pilots with customers. The startup is also working to expand the functionality of the robot for use in food retail.

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