With its warehouses of only a few square meters scattered in city centers, this Israeli company wants to facilitate and speed up online shopping.
"If you used to want an order in two days, then a day, then two hours, now you want it in ten minutes."
A customer in need of coffee capsules places an order on the internet and picks up his package directly in front of the tiny warehouse, through a hatch.
Here, no trace of human beings, everything was prepared and delivered by machines.
If robots have already appeared in supermarkets around the world, this concept of tiny and robotic hangars in the city center is unique, assures Mr. Yaïr.
A woman picks up coffee capsules from a warehouse where a robot prepared her order on January 11, 2023 in the Israeli city of Tel Aviv © JACK GUEZ / AFP
Online commerce has increased tenfold during the coronavirus pandemic, but companies are sometimes struggling to meet demand.
The solution goes through “small warehouses, close to customers”, but they must be “automated”, estimates Mr. Yaïr.
The end of supermarkets?
In the south of Tel Aviv, young men and women, most of whom have gone through the army's study program before joining one of its computer units, pamper the robots ready to leave the workshop.
These, thanks to artificial intelligence, can grab and pack fruits and vegetables or even frozen products thanks to a technique that prevents robots from freezing.
The company plans to set up in Brazil, Germany and South Africa where its robots will be used in grocery stores or telephone stores.
Technicians work at the headquarters of the Israeli company 1MRobotics, in the city of Tel Aviv, on January 11, 2023 © JACK GUEZ / AFP
According to Mr. Yaïr, the era of supermarkets is approaching its twilight.
"Once you have a service that allows you to order ten items multiple times in one day and receive them in ten minutes, there's no reason to shop once a week for the whole week," says he.
"It just doesn't make sense."
© 2023 AFP