Danish supermarket chain tests humanoid robots for shelf restocking

A Danish supermarket chain, Føtex, has initiated a pilot program to use humanoid robots for routine tasks in a store located in Lyngby, near Copenhagen. The robots, developed by the Danish start-up Hive Robots and manufactured by the Chinese company Unitree, are being trained to perform shelf restocking. The training process, which began in June, involves human operators guiding the machines using virtual reality headsets and controllers to teach them how to handle various products. Currently, these robots operate more slowly than humans and require close supervision.

The project aims to automate shelf replenishment, which currently occupies 40% to 50% of the working hours of store staff. By offloading these repetitive tasks to machines, the company hopes to allow employees to dedicate more time to customer service. Future capabilities may include expiration date checking and identifying incorrectly placed items. While the robots are designed with physical features that allow them to navigate human spaces without infrastructure changes, their full autonomous deployment is expected by early 2027. However, this transition remains subject to future amendments in Danish legislation, which must be adjusted to permit fully autonomous robotic operation.