Even Robots Can Get Fired as Two Humanoid Workers Fail Their 24-Hour Convenience Store Shift

Two humanoid robots have effectively been rejected after failing to meet expectations during a 24-hour convenience store experiment in China. Six machines developed by robotics company AgiBot took part in the challenge, serving customers, preparing coffee and restocking shelves, but only four passed their probation assessments.

The machines took part in a livestreamed experiment at an operating convenience store in Shanghai's Xuhui district from 10am on 2 November to 10am on 3 November. Dubbed 'Robots Never Clock Out', the challenge was designed to test whether humanoid machines could handle the demands of everyday retail work across different periods of the day and night.

The experiment highlighted both the potential and limitations of the technology. Although the six robots collectively completed 1,730 tasks, two failed their assessments. One even deviated from its cleaning route after encountering an overflowing rubbish bin.

Six Robots Take on a Store Shift

The six AgiBot G2 robots were assigned different responsibilities inside the store, which remained open to customers throughout the experiment. Their duties included greeting visitors, retrieving products, stocking shelves, preparing coffee and hot food, and clearing rubbish.

The challenge covered four distinct periods: the lunchtime rush, evening crowds, overnight operations and the morning breakfast rush. This allowed the company to observe how its machines performed under different working conditions rather than relying on a short, controlled demonstration.

By the end of the 24-hour event, the robots had collectively completed 1,730 tasks. These included 683 customer greetings, 369 item retrievals and deliveries, and 147 coffees. The remaining tasks comprised 126 hot-food orders, 277 shelf inspections and restocking jobs, and 128 table-cleaning tasks.

However, the impressive total did not translate into a clean sweep. Only four of the six machines passed the assessment, with the cleaning robot and another assigned to patrol shelves falling short of expectations.

One Robot Strays from Its Route

The most unusual failure involved a robot assigned to cleaning duties during the overnight shift. According to Chinese technology publication ITHome, the machine encountered an overflowing rubbish bin, deviated from its designated route, moved outside the store and failed to return to its assigned position.

The incident exposed a problem with the robot's ability to handle an unexpected situation without deviating from its assigned route.

Another machine, assigned to patrol shelves and monitor stock levels, also failed its assessment. According to ITHome, the robot 'lacked initiative' when inspecting and replenishing products and could not keep up with the store's turnover pace.

The incidents highlight one of the challenges facing humanoid robotics: performing a specific task is not necessarily the same as responding reliably when something unexpected happens.

For a human convenience store employee, an overflowing bin or an empty shelf would hardly be an unusual problem. For a robot, however, even these routine situations can expose weaknesses in its ability to respond independently.

Robots Face Unexpected Challenges

The experiment also included deliberately challenging situations designed to test whether the machines could respond to unexpected requests and obstacles.

According to a report by Chinese technology publication Machine Heart, participants asked the robots to distinguish between regular and sugar-free Coca-Cola. They also placed obstacles in the machines' paths and shook a container while a robot attempted to retrieve food.

The robots reportedly managed to identify and retrieve the requested drinks, navigate around obstacles and adjust their movements while handling the shaking container. The tests therefore demonstrated some of their capabilities, while also exposing the difficulties of operating in an unpredictable environment.

These challenges highlighted the difference between performing a programmed task and adapting to changing conditions. Robots must recognise objects, navigate around people and obstacles, and respond to situations that may not have been anticipated when they were programmed.

While humanoid machines are becoming increasingly capable, their ability to handle unexpected situations remains an important consideration for companies looking to introduce them into everyday workplaces.

Can Robots Replace Shop Workers?

The Shanghai experiment offers an interesting glimpse into how robots could eventually become part of everyday retail operations. However, completing 1,730 tasks does not necessarily mean the machines are ready to replace human employees.

There are still important unanswered questions about their performance. Although the challenge ran for 24 hours, this does not necessarily mean every robot worked continuously throughout the event. The available reports do not independently establish whether individual machines needed charging breaks, maintenance, remote oversight or other forms of human assistance during the trial.

Their productivity and operating costs also remain unclear. A report published in January by The Irish Times, citing comments from UBTech's chief brand officer, found that the company's Walker S2 humanoid robots were achieving around 30 to 50 per cent of human-worker productivity in certain industrial applications, such as stacking boxes and quality control.

The figure relates to UBTech's machines and should not be taken as a measure of humanoid robots across the industry.

Companies are nevertheless exploring ways to introduce humanoid machines into commercial workplaces. Agricultural equipment manufacturer AGCO has signed an agreement with Agility Robotics to trial its Digit humanoid robot at the company's Hesston, Kansas, manufacturing facility from 2027. The machine is expected to initially handle tasks such as sorting and stacking parts and positioning storage totes.

South Korea has also approved a trial involving 20 bipedal humanoid robots from manufacturer Robros at semiconductor, automotive, shipbuilding and logistics sites. The machines will operate in spaces shared with or adjacent to human workers, subject to risk assessments and additional safety measures.

These developments suggest that the technology is moving beyond laboratory demonstrations, but the Shanghai experiment shows why replacing human workers will not be straightforward.

Robots can already perform several routine retail responsibilities, including greeting customers, retrieving products and preparing coffee. However, their mixed performance suggests that humanoid machines still have considerable progress to make before they can reliably handle the full range of responsibilities expected of human shop workers.

Until these machines can demonstrate that they are as reliable, productive and cost-effective as people, replacing human shop workers may prove considerably harder than simply putting a robot behind the counter.