Marty, a rather peculiar looking robot, was recently spotted perusing the aisles of a Giant Food Store in Lower Paxton Township, Harrisburg, PA. The store’s reasoning behind Marty’s appearance? According to Ahold USA, Giant Food Stores’ parent company, the robot is part of a test program designed to prevent trip/slip and fall accidents.
According to Patrick Maturo, manager of store optimization for Ahold USA, “the robot can report out information and data that is a value, not only to us as a business, but to our customers.” The battery-powered robot is equipped with scanners to prevent him from crashing into shoppers and various displays, and several internal cameras which allow him to reach about three-fourths of a standard grocer aisle. The robot’s main job is to scan for hazardous conditions on the floor, such as smashed grapes or spilled milk.
One thing Maturo says the robot will not do is replace employees. “Marty can’t do the work that the associates do, so Marty is doing assistant work.” It remains the store associates’ responsibility to clean up any hazardous condition reported by Marty. Nationwide, other retailers including Target, Amazon, and Wal-Mart, are also testing and using robots like Marty.
Source and Photo Credit: Pennlive.com
Harrisburg Slip and Fall Accident Lawyers
Slips, trips and falls happen all the time, injuring unsuspecting customers in stores and other public places. If you or a loved one suffered a fall due to a dangerous condition that should have been fixed, you may have grounds to pursue a premises liability claim. If you were injured through no fault of your own, Metzger Wickersham's personal injury attorneys are here to help you fight for the compensation you deserve.
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