German grocery retailer REWE West has installed an AI-powered autonomous cooking robot in a supermarket in Düsseldorf.

Thanks to the technology, the company says its customers can now experience fresh restaurant quality meals prepared live and on-demand by the robot.

REWE West, which is a key local grocery provider in two federal states of Germany, said the launch marks a “new era of autonomous retail integration”, combining robotics, artificial intelligence, and software.

The business plans to roll out the technology across further supermarkets, with the robot being installed in at least three more stores as part of a pilot scheme.

The supermarket says the robot can prepare meals with consistent quality and precision, leveraging predictive models to optimise demand, ensure efficiency, and minimise food waste.
Main dishes are available from €6 and accessible to all customers in-store.

The service, called Fresh & Smart, has been installed by AI robotics company Circus and utilises their CA-1 system.

“With the use of fully autonomous AI robots, we are showing what innovation in food retail truly means today: being close to customer needs, leading in technology, and maintaining the highest standards of quality,” says Lars Klein, chairman of the management board of REWE Region West. “We combine efficiency with enjoyment – turning grocery shopping into an experience of the future.”

Last year, REWE West-owner REWE Group announced the opening of a Pick&Go store in Hamburg, Germany following a phase of testing.

Launched in partnership with Trigo technology, REWE said at the time that the 1,200 square metre store was Europe’s largest computer vision-based supermarket with over 20,000 items available in store.

Shoppers have a choice of four ways to pay for their purchases. They can pay through the Pick&Go app, by scanning and paying at a self-checkout terminal, by using the computer-vision technology or the usual method of paying with a cashier.

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