A robot deployed to combat spread of coronavirus in supermarkets

German supermarket Edeka has introduced Pepper, a robot that reminds customers to practise social-distancing during the coronavirus pandemic

Spotted: Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic, supermarket employees have had to adapt to new regulations to keep themselves and customers safe. To relieve its employees, German supermarket chain Edeka, have introduced a robot named Pepper to its Ahrensburg branch. Pepper is there to provide advice to customers on the protection and prevention of the coronavirus and helps to regulate the checkout process.   

Developed by Entrance Robotics, Pepper is there to help customers understand behavioural recommendations and implement preventative measures, through intuitive and unproblematic conversations. The robot uses clear, unambiguous language, as the company has designed it specifically for human communication. Edeka is pioneering the humanoid customer service in the Hamburg area, as there are currently no other supermarkets that have introduced such a development.

The coronavirus crisis has placed our society under exceptional pressures and as such, many companies have been developing innovative digital solutions that help in protecting the community. Many of these digital solutions will be here to stay even after the threat of the virus has eased; Edeka has stated that they are looking to continue using Pepper the robot as a digital service for customers even after the crisis.

Explore more: Retail Innovations | COVID-19 Innovations