As I was making my weekly grocery store run (ok, my bi-weekly grocery store run) I noticed something really interesting and a little freaky at the same time. A robotic aisle cleaner.
We’ve been hearing a lot about robots and artificial intelligence over the past two years and now we’re seeing this technology more and more. It has brought up serious debates about how much trust we should put into robotic technology and whether or not it’s affecting the ability to get jobs. This particular floor cleaner used to be run by a human that could watch out for other shoppers or go around things if required. However, this robotic cleaner is outfitted with a sensor and technology that allows it to understand it’s surroundings and recalculate a new path if something stops or falls in its way.
While it may seem really cool (and it is), it’s also a little frightening that this machine can travel about the store untethered and unattended without any major issues and do satisfactory job. Like self-checkouts, these robots are very efficient but has made a lot of us ask the question “is it really that good?” Working at a checkout or cleaning aisleways were both paid jobs for adults and summer students that now seem to be slowly disappearing in the name of artificial intelligence.
This robotic aisle cleaner, which I don’t think has a name, certainly made heads turn the day I was at the store. People had their phones out taking pictures and video of the machine traveling up the walkway. I witnessed an older couple pull out in front of it with their shopping cart, apologizing to it for not seeing it, and then looking totally shocked that there was nobody behind the actual unit! It was actually quite humorous.
