Walmart Inc.'s robotic system that helps fill online grocery orders is now fully operational at its pilot location in a New Hampshire Supercenter, the retailer said in a news release Wednesday.
The system, called Alphabot, uses autonomous carts to gather ordered items inside a 20,000-square-foot warehouse and deliver them to a workstation. A Walmart employee then checks and bags the merchandise for delivery.
Alphabot "is going to be a transformative impact to Walmart's supply chain," Brian Roth, a senior manager of pickup automation and digital operations for Walmart U.S., said in the news release. "Ultimately, this will lower dispense times, increase accuracy and improve the entirety of online grocery."
Walmart said it will continue to study, refine and perfect the new technology, which was developed for the Bentonville retailer by Alert Innovation. After collecting feedback about Alphabot from employees and customers, Walmart will assess the next steps for a broader rollout.
The retailer announced the pilot project in August 2018.
-- Serenah McKay