Safety robot: Woolworths Erina launches new digital employee ‘Ez’
Meet the newest addition to Woolworths Erina – a robot named Ez who is turning heads in every aisle.
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A robot named Ez is the latest addition to Woolworths Erina, designed to spot hazards inside the store.
The coast store has taken an innovative step forward with the introduction of the hi-tech robot.
The aim of Ez, a name given to the robot by staff members, is to improve safety.
While he won’t be on hand to tackle potential robbers, the role of Ez is to roam the store and identify and alert the Erina team to any potential hazards on floor such. When a spill or trip hazard is identified, staff are alerted by Ez with flashing lights.
Woolworths has been trialling safety robots in a small number of stores since 2019. On average, the robots are helping detect around 570 potential slip or trip hazards each month. The number of slip and trip incidents reported in these trial stores is around 20 per cent lower than the national average.
“We care deeply about the safety of our customers and team, so we’re excited to have this cutting-edge technology at our store,” Woolworths Erina store manager Scott Thomson said.
“The team has really embraced the initiative and even given the robot a name – ‘Ez’. We expect there will be a bit of a novelty factor for our customers when they first see ‘Ez’, but it’s designed to operate in busy environments and keep its distance from customers.
“We’ll be keen to hear the customer feedback over the coming weeks.”
When the store closes, Ez continues to work and checks the shelves for out of stock items.