Robomart, which is described by startup founder and CEO Ali Ahmed as “world’s first self-driving grocery store”, will start operating in the U.S. later this year. A startup based in San Francisco has signed an agreement with Stop & Shop chain. Robomart is being tested in California so far. Armenian News-NEWS.am talked to Robomart co-founder and Chief Technology Officer Tigran Shahverdyan about latest news of the startup.

Your startup Robomart is the creator of world’s first self-driving grocery stores and has recently signed a contract with Stop & Shop, the 4th largest supermarket chain in the U.S. Will you give some details? Is there a robomart service now anywhere? How did the consumers perceive the innovation which seems to be fantastic from the first sight?

We are currently in testing. This will be our first commercial deployment.

Robomart has several original features. For example, in home appliances or computers store there is no difference for consumers which item of the same product they pick. But when it comes to items like fresh produce, meat, etc, consumers like to choose. However fresh items spoil much faster. How did you manage to solve this and other problems?

You are absolutely right. Majority of consumers prefer to pick their groceries themselves. Robomarts have purpose built cooling system that keeps the required temperature level inside the vehicle and restock several times throughout the day.

Can you describe interaction between robomart and the consumer? Can a person call a “store” and buy nothing?

Good question. The consumer will call a Robomart through our app which is similar to Uber or gg. When it arrives the consumer will receive a notification and meet the robomart outside. Then they will open the doors through the app. That is the only way the doors can be opened. Our system tracks everything that has been taken from the robomart. After pressing the checkout button on the app, the doors will close, our system will send the receipt to the customer and charge their card. If the consumer does not shop we may charge a cancellation fee which will serve as a deterrent.

What will happen if robomart gets stuck in the traffic or is involved in an accident?

We don’t see traffic as a major problem. Robomarts are low speed electric vehicles with a top speed of 25mph. They will operate in geofenced areas, never go on highways, and as they never carry a driver or passengers, they will always prioritize the safety of everyone around. We have designed and built robomarts to be among the safest vehicles on the roads, which is why we built the body out of lightweight materials meant to crumple, and why we will be teleoperating robomarts during the initial deployments. And in the unlikely event of an accident we have emergency services and other first responders guide, as well as law enforcement interaction protocol, that define how such situations should be handled.

When I first saw Robomart, my first reaction was: “it’s fantastic”. What other responses did you get?

From what we have seen most of the people love the concept and would love to use it.

During our last interview, you said you are interested in self-driving transportation industry, and several months later we saw the news about Robomart’s coming pilot deployment. So, what are your next plans?

For the near future I will be fully focused on leading engineering efforts at Robomart.

Thank you for the interview, and we are looking forward to see Robomart in Armenia as well.

Thank you! It was my pleasure.