DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTONOMOUS ROBOT TO PERFORM THE FUNCTIONS OF A SALES - CONSULTANT IN RETAIL NETWORKS
Abstract
The active increase in the share of large chain stores in the retail sector increases the demand for employees of such networks. At the same time, with the growth of the turnover of large stores, the requirements for timely display of goods on the shelves also grow. According to the estimates of the retailers themselves, losses from incorrect or untimely display of goods can reach 5% of the total annual turnover. Given the significant turnover of large chain retailers and noticeable staff turnover, the problem of automation of product display in chain stores can be considered relevant. This paper presents the results of the development of an autonomous robotic system that can ensure uninterrupted control of filling of shelves and timely display of goods. Based on the results of a survey of representatives of large retail chains, the requirements for an autonomous system for monitoring and placing goods in a store are determined. In particular, the requirements for the capabilities of an intelligent robot control system, design features and hardware implementation of robots, requirements for the capabilities of the system of interaction with employees and customers in the store and preferences for the appearance and user interface of the robot are determined. Based on the identified requirements of retailers, a prototype of an autonomous robot for work in sales areas has been developed. The basis of the robot is a transport module with two motor wheels and a pair of steering wheels, on which an anthropomorphic unit with two manipulators is installed. The manipulators are made in the form of human hands and have a full set of necessary degrees of freedom. In addition, the article presents the architecture of the autonomous robot control system. The robot is controlled by an intelligent decision-making and control system based on a multi-agent neurocognitive architecture that simulates the processes occurring in the human brain. The design and mechatronic part of the robot were tested in real conditions: in the sales areas of a retail store in Nalchik in the presence of sales consultants and customers. In the future, work is planned to refine and train the intelligent decision-making system.
References
1. Otchet o finansovykh i operatsionnykh rezul'tatakh X5 Retail Group za 2024g. [Report on financial and operating results of X5 Retail Group for 2024], Ofitsial'nyy sayt X5 Retail Group [Official website of X5 Retail Group].
2. Petrov S.K. Robotizatsiya biznes-protsessov na primere predpriyatiy sfery roznichnoy torgovli [Ro-botization of business processes using the example of retail enterprises], Innovatsii i investitsii [Innova-tions and investments], 2021, No. 4, pp. 140-143.
3. Dworakowski D. Thompson C., Pham-Hung M., & Nejat G. A Robot Architecture Using Con-textSLAM to Find Products in Unknown Crowded Retail Environments, Robotics, 2021, Vol. 10, No. 4, pp. 110.
4. Sorokin V. I. Perspektivy vnedreniya nazemnykh robotov-kur'yerov v upravleniye logisticheskimi protsessami servisov dostavki [Prospects for the implementation of ground robot couriers in the man-agement of logistics processes of delivery services], Molodezhnaya nedelya nauki IPMEiT: Sb. trudov Vserossiyskoy studencheskoy nauchno-uchebnoy konferentsii. V 6-ti chastyakh. Tom Chast' 3. Sankt-Peterburg, 02–04 dekabrya 2021 goda [Youth Science Week IPMEiT: Collection of proceedings of the All-Russian Student Scientific and Educational Conference. In 6 parts. Vol. Part 3. Saint Petersburg, December 02–04, 2021]. St. Petersburg: Federal State Educational Institution of Higher Education "Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University", 2021, pp. 61-64. EDN QBKSDH.
5. Novoselova E.E., Moldabaeva P.S., Belyakova E.V. Vnedreniye robototekhniki v kur'yerskuyu deyatel'nost' [Introduction of robotics into courier activities], Aktual'nyye problemy aviatsii i kosmonavti-ki [Current problems of aviation and astronautics], 2022, No. 3, pp. 280-282.
6. Medvedev I. V seti VkusVill poyavilis' «umnyye» telezhki [“Smart” carts appeared in the VkusVill net-work], BFM.RU, 2020. Free access: https://www.bfm.ru/news/435921 (accessed: 02.25.2025).
7. Galdelli A., Pietrini R., Mancini A., & Zingaretti P. Retail Robot Navigation: A Shopper Behavior-Centric Approach to Path Planning, IEEE Access, 2024, Vol. 12, pp. 50154–50164.
8. Bakhman V.A., Koroleva A.N., Tsaregorodtsev E.L. Obzor vidov i analiz sovremennogo sostoyaniya rynka promyshlennykh robotov-manipulyatorov [Review of types and analysis of the current state of the market for industrial robotic manipulators], MNIZH [MNIZH], 2023, No. 2 (128), pp. 2-6.
9. Garayev R.A., Rogozhnikov A.O. Perspektiva ispol'zovaniya robota-manipulyatora v razlichnykh ot-raslyakh [Prospects for using a robotic manipulator in various industries], Tekhnicheskaya ekspluatatsi-ya vodnogo transporta: problemy i puti razvitiya [Technical operation of water transport: problems and development paths], 2022, No. 5, pp. 57-60.
10. Sharma R., Patange A.D., Padalghare R., & Kale R.C. Development of LiDAR operated inventory control and assistance robot. In Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Journal of Pro-cess Mechanical Engineering, 2023, Vol. 238, pp. 192-202.
11. Rahmadya B., Sun R., Takeda S., Kagoshima K., & Umehira M. A Framework to Determine Secure Distances for Either Drones or Robots Based Inventory Management Systems, IEEE Access, 2020, Vol. 8, pp. 170153-170161.
12. Vicente, Ó. F., Fernández, F., & García, J. Automated market maker inventory management with deep reinforcement learning, Applied Intelligence, 2023, Vol. 53, No. 19, pp. 22249-22266.
13. Engström P., Hagen J., Khoshghadam A., & Schneider A. Effects of electronic cash registers on report-ed revenue, International Tax and Public Finance, 2024.
14. Nasaridze E.V. Ikramov R.A. Analiz effektivnosti ispol'zovaniya robotov-kassirov v torgovle [Analysis of the effectiveness of using robot cashiers in trade], Nedelya nauki SPbPU: Materialy nauchnoy konfer-entsii s mezhdunarodnym uchastiyem. Institut promyshlennogo menedzhmenta, ekonomiki i torgovli. Sankt-Peterburg, 18–23 noyabrya 2019 [SPbPU Science Week: Proceedings of a scientific conference with international participation. Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade. St. Peters-burg, November 18–23, 2019]. Saint Petersburg: FGAOUVO "Sankt-Peterburgskiy politekhnicheskiy universitet Petra Velikogo", 2019, Vol. 3, pp. 187-189. EDN NDJEMV.
15. Mikhailov D.V. Analiz praktiki primeneniya algoritmov mashinnogo obucheniya v rossiyskikh roznich-nykh setyakh dlya razvitiya operatsionnoy deyatel'nosti i razrabotki marketingovoy strategii predpriyatiya [Analysis of the practice of using machine learning algorithms in Russian retail chains for the develop-ment of operational activities and development of an enterprise’s marketing strategy], Fundamental and applied approaches to solving scientific problems: Sb. nauchnykh statey po materialam XII Mezhdu-narodnoy nauchno-prakticheskoy konferentsii. Ufa, 28 aprelya 2023. [Fundamental and applied ap-proaches to solving scientific problems: Collection of scientific articles based on the materials of the XII International Scientific and Practical Conference. Ufa, April 28, 2023]. Ufa: OOO "Nauchno-izdatel'skiy tsentr "Vestnik nauki", 2023, pp. 122-141. EDN JBXWSR.
16. Gubko Yu.A. Primeneniye CRM sistemy upravleniya vzaimootnosheniyami s kliyentom dlya roznichnoy torgovli [Application of a CRM customer relationship management system for retail trade], Skif. Voprosy studencheskoy nauki [Skif. Questions of student science], 2020, No. 5-2 (45),
pp. 293-297. EDN CXFTHW.
17. Ostrovsky V.L. Intellektual'naya sistema osveshcheniya obrazovatel'nogo uchrezhdeniya [Intelligent lighting system for an educational institution], Forum molodozhnoy nauki [Forum of Youth Science], 2020, No. 6, pp. 4-13.
18. Cheban A.N. Sistema intellektual'nogo upravleniya osveshcheniyem v uchebnykh zdaniyakh [Intelligent lighting control system in educational buildings], Nauka, obrazovaniye i eksperimental'noye proyektiro-vaniye [Science, education and experimental design], 2020, No. 1, pp. 464-465.
19. Bayneva I.I. Sistemy upravleniya osveshcheniyem na sovremennom proizvodstve [Lighting control sys-tems in modern production], Priborostroyeniye i avtomatizirovannyy elektroprivod v toplivno-energeticheskom komplekse i zhilishchno-kommunal'nom khozyaystve: Mater. IV Natsional'noy nauch-no-prakticheskoy konferentsii. Kazan', 06–07 dekabrya 2018 [Instrumentation and automated electric drive in the fuel and energy complex and housing and communal services: materials of the IV National Scientific and Practical Conference. Kazan, December 06–07, 2018]. Kazan’: Kazanskiy gosudarstven-nyy energeticheskiy universitet, 2019, Vol. 2, pp. 589-595. EDN HLUHXH.
20. Song C.S., Kim Y.K. The role of the human-robot interaction in consumers acceptance of humanoid retail service robots, Journal of Business Research, 2022, Vol. 146, pp. 489-503.
21. Subero-Navarro Á., Pelegrín-Borondo J., Reinares-Lara E., & Olarte-Pascual, C. Proposal for model-ing social robot acceptance by retail customers: CAN model + technophobia, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 2022, Vol. 64, pp. 102813.
22. Noble S.M., Mende M. The future of artificial intelligence and robotics in the retail and service sector: Sketching the field of consumer-robot-experiences, J. of the Acad. Mark. Sci, 2023, Vol. 51, No. 4,
pp. 747-756.
23. Roozen I., Raedts M., Yanycheva A. Are Retail Customers Ready for Service Robot Assistants? Int J of Soc Robotics, 2022, Vol. 15, No. 1, pp. 15-25.
24. Sindhwani R., Pereira V., Sampat B., Shankar A., Nigam A., & Salwan P. Exploring barriers to social robot adoption: A mixed-method study in the Indian retail sector, Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2025, Vol. 212, pp. 123923.
25. Nagoev Z.V. Intellectics, or thinking in living and artificial systems [Intellektika, ili myshleniye v zhivykh i iskusstvennykh sistemakh], Nal'chik: Izdatel'stvo KBNTS RAN [Nalchik: Publishing House KBNTs RAS], 2013, pp. 211.
