Japanese supermarkets are introducing robots, remotely controlled by operators from the Philippines
Category: IT technologies, PEGI 0+
Today, 05:35
Japanese retail has found an unexpected solution to its staffing shortage. Supermarkets are now staffed by robots. These robots were developed by the Tokyo-based startup Telexistence, but their operation has been outsourced to Manila, Philippines. Employees at the Manila-based company Astro Robotics earn around $250 per month, overseeing a fleet of machines.
A single operator oversees approximately 50 robots and takes over if the artificial intelligence makes a mistake—for example, if it drops a bottle and can't pick it up.
Due to staff shortages, such systems have already been implemented in more than 300 FamilyMart and Lawson stores in Tokyo, and 7-Eleven plans to join soon.
