Terrifying Seven-Foot Tall Robots Controlled By A Human Using A Virtual Reality System Are Stocking Shelves In Japanese Convenience Stores To Allow Social Distancing Among Workers

‘It will also lead to the reduction of human-to-human contact to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.’

FamilyMart, Japan’s second largest convenience store chain, has partnered with robotics company Telexistence on an android stock boy named Model-T, after Henry Ford’s famous car.

Japanese convenience stores are testing out robots to stock store shelves in hopes of combating the country’s labor shortage and allowing human workers to socially distance during a pandemic.

The seven-foot tall robot has a wide range of motion, necessary for lifting and moving products, with a lag time of only 50 milliseconds between operator and automaton.

In FamilyMart’s pilot program, an operator logs into a VR terminal from Telexistence’s office in Toranomon, Tokyo, and remotely operates a Model-T installed at a store five miles away in the Toshima Ecomusee Town building.

For now, Model-T will restock plastic beverage bottles from the back of the store, which makes up a relatively large portion of the workload.

Once its speed and accuracy are verified, Model-T will start handling other popular items, like rice balls, sandwiches and bento boxes.

‘By introducing Model-T into stores, FamilyMart store staff will be able to work in multiple stores from a remote location, which will help solve challenges around labor shortage and help create new job opportunities,’ the company said in a statement.

‘It will also lead to the reduction of human-to-human contact to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.’

Other Asian countries have upped the ante on robots, as well.

FamilyMart was early to adopt automation – it tested out self checkout in 2006, long before it became commonplace in the West.