Lotte Innovate said on the 2nd that it unveiled AX Lab 3.0, a next-generation, futuristic convenience store where Humanoid Robot and artificial intelligence (AI) technologies operate on an actual retail floor.
AX Lab 3.0 is a futuristic store that Lotte Innovate built on the first floor of its Seoul headquarters in partnership with Korea Seven. It features Humanoid Robot and AI working organically to manage the store autonomously and assist customers. Going beyond a simple unmanned shop, it serves as a test bed where robots and AI actively participate in store operations.
The store deploys a Humanoid Robot that serves as a manager, guiding customers by voice to product locations and introducing promotional information. Linked with Lotte Innovate's AI platform "iMember," the robot can engage in everyday conversations such as about the weather and also performs owner tasks like checking for out-of-stock items and inspecting store cleanliness.
Vision AI technology is also applied to store management. Through in-store CCTV and an AI system, the AI Store-Care Service detects floor contamination and tasting station cleanliness in real time, and it monitors product displays and expiration dates to notify owners when to discard items.
The company also introduced a customer service function using an AI hologram. Customers can interact with the hologram and experience features such as photo compositing, enabling marketing through social networking services (SNS). The company plans to expand use to various fields such as entertainment, retail, and construction by linking with iMember.
Lotte Innovate's retail technologies, including a conversational kiosk where customers talk with an avatar to support payments and a Vision AI-based retail media network (RMN) service for personalized ads, were also applied in the store.
Lotte Innovate plans to keep advancing the iMember AI engine to strengthen its robot software competitiveness and to apply its solutions to Humanoid Robot from various manufacturers, expanding the physical AI service area where AI controls real-world hardware.
Shin Hyun-ho, head of distribution and services at Lotte Innovate, said, "AX Lab 3.0 is a space that shows how retail stores can evolve when robots and AI are combined," adding, "We will continue to apply future technologies in the field to drive retail innovation that both customers and store owners can feel."