A San Jose, Calif., hardware store owned by Lowe's now has the assistance of four robots that can direct customers who are looking for particular products.
Currently in testing at the Orchard Supply Hardware location, the four "OSHbots" resemble white columns, have a large black screen on each side and move on wheels, the Associated Press reported.
The robots can identify items in the store with the help of 3D cameras. Customers can look up things they need on the robot's screen and then be led by the OSHbot to where the item is located.
"People can come in with a random screw and say Mr. Robot, I need more of these, and if we do have it in the store, they can find it," said Kyle Nel, executive director of Lowe's Innovation Lab, as quoted by the AP.
OSHbot was developed at Singularity University Labs, which is based at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Ames Research Center in Mountain View, Calif., according to the Wall Street Journal. The labs collaborative matches technology startups with big companies; Lowe's and Mountain View, Calif.-based startup Fellow Robots started working together 10 months ago.
Standing 5 feet tall, OSHbots also feature ads for in-store specials on their back screens that will be viewed by customers as they go through the store. The robots are intended to integrate the benefits of both shopping in a physical store and browsing products online by helping customers navigate the aisles to find what they need.
OSHbots might even eventually be able to build products on demand if something is out of stock. Robots in the future could use 3D printing to make a needed part, Marco Mascorro, CEO of Fellow Robots, told the Journal.
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