Robot arms are replacing shelf stockers in Japan’s stores

The robot arms are designed to replenish drinks in refrigerators in convenience stores across Japan and are now in mass production, Telexistence said in a statement. — Photo by Joan Tran on Unsplash

Telexistence Inc and FamilyMart Co are rolling out a fleet of AI-driven robots to restock shelves in 300 convenience stores across Japan.

The robot arms are designed to replenish drinks in refrigerators and are now in mass production, Tokyo-based Telexistence said in a statement on Aug 10. They’ll be installed in FamilyMart locations across major metropolitan areas later this month and help relieve store workers while also filling the void left by a shrinking workforce in the country.