Mind the Step: Rise of the Robots

We’ve long been scared of robots as the invaders who are likely to take over the world although we know the Daleks failed because they couldn’t climb stairs.

Things have progressed somewhat since the fictional enemy of Dr Who roamed the Sci-Fi earth but we are still not talking about global domination. Robots are more likely to be found cleaning supermarket floors and carrying plates to tables in restaurants.

But such use-cases should not be dismissed because as labour costs rise and companies look to boost their efficiency and deploy their workforce on more value-added tasks the modern day robot has a growing – initially mundane – role to play.

I took a trip up to Milton Keynes for a showcase day of the robots available from RoboMercato. They are a platform through which a cornucopia of different robots can be sourced. Stephen Halstead, CEO at RoboMercato, says the company “sources, sells, finances, installs and services” equipment from various manufacturers including Botinkit, Pudu, Keenon and DEEP Robotics.

Since launching earlier this year the company has built up 40 live projects across retail, hospitality, three-party logistics businesses, and cleaning companies. Halstead finds smaller clients want turnkey solutions that include servicing contracts while larger organisations feel they have the resources to handle this ongoing element.

Many companies enter the area of area through cleaning robots that can be easily deployed and have a return on investment of a mere seven to eight months. Expect to see more such deployments and other more complex installations too but don’t expect global domination just yet.

Glynn Davis, editor, Retail Insider