Marty had his first birthday this past weekend, and Stop & Shop gave him a party.
Marty had his first birthday this past weekend, and Stop & Shop gave him a party.
Defined as a “tall, googly-eyed robot,” Marty has been roaming through select Stop & Shop stores, like the one at 127 Samoset St. in Plymouth, for the past 12 months, startling shoppers as he rolls along, sometimes right behind them.
The store designed the robot to search for spills and potential hazards, and adds an element of artificial intelligence to the shopping experience. He calls to mind prophecies from decades ago that robots would start insinuating themselves into everyday life.
In Isaac Asimov’s “I, Robot,” the bots start out like Marty helping out, and then get a little power hungry.
So, some find Marty delightful. Some find him intrusive, or even creepy.
Media reports of Marty even quoted one child as saying, “They’re going to take over the world, you know.”
The legion of Martys, installed in 300 Stop & Shops, feature an explanation of his presence, noting that the store is monitored by Marty for shoppers’ safety. “Marty is an autonomous robot that uses image capturing technology to report spills, debris and other potential hazards to store employees to improve your shopping experience.”
Marty is equipped with eight cameras pointed to the floor and to the shelves. The robot is designed to stop for spills and shoppers that step into its path.
Plymouth’s Stop & Shop gave Marty a birthday party last weekend with balloons, party hats and birthday cake, store give-aways. The cameras were turned on him for a change.
He marks innovation in the grocery retail industry, with Stop & Shop touting his role as handling spills so associates can focus more on customers. According to Stop & Shop, Marty spots nearly 40 spills or other potential hazards in each store every day.
“Upon locating a hazard, he alerts Stop & Shop associates in both English and Spanish - and stays nearby until it’s cleaned up,” a press release states.
Kids are his biggest fans, with many parents saying their child won’t let them shop anywhere else because they want to see Marty.
As such, Marty has proved a great way to boost Stop & Shop sales, no doubt. But some dissenters say they’re concerned about the cameras on them, not just the store.