Beijing Opens the World's First Fully Autonomous Humanoid-Run Store: A Robodega With No Human Clerks
Beijing unveils what organizers are calling the world's first fully autonomous humanoid-operated store—a robodega. The Galbot G-1, a dual-armed humanoid robot released in June 2024, runs the tiny shop—from greeting visitors to handing over items. The grand opening happened in early August and drew crowds who watched the machine perform tasks once done by people. In online video, the G-1 is shown moving around a corner store and handing goods to customers. The company claims the robot “runs everything, serving thousands of customers each day,” with “zero teleoperation,” powered by Galbot’s GroceryVLA and GraspVLA.
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Crowds Gather as the G-1 Takes the Stage
Video from the opening shows crowds lining up to watch the G-1 navigate a small corner shop. The spectacle feels almost magical in a world of vending machines and apps, but the robot is presented as a proof‑of‑concept rather than a mass deployment. Still, the buzz is undeniable as people observe a humanoid bot greet visitors and hand over items to customers.
How It Works Today: The G-1, GroceryVLA, and Zero Teleoperation
The G-1 is a dual‑armed humanoid that can greet customers and deliver drinks, snacks, and pharmaceuticals. It operates without any teleoperation, relying on Galbot’s GroceryVLA and GraspVLA to manage orders. The company even opened a second kiosk last week at Beijing’s Summer Palace, signaling an aggressive expansion mindset. Galbot CEO Wen Airong says the kiosks could roll out to 100 stores across ten Chinese cities within the next year. He identifies two main challenges: natural voice interaction and improved operation speeds.
The Real Barriers to Mass Robotic Retail
Real‑world environments are noisy and full of accents, which makes language processing for a customer‑facing robot especially tricky. There’s also the tricky question of which regional dialect should be the default. Mobility remains a major hurdle—while robotics locomotion has advanced, there’s no clear consensus on the best path to mass production. As one expert notes, mobility is perhaps the key issue holding back robotics from achieving science‑fiction level capabilities.
A Glimpse of the Future—Not Ready Yet, But Worth Watching
Even as a proof‑of‑concept, the robodega offers a window into a future where robots could handle customer service, stocking, and transactions in retail. Galbot’s plan to expand to 100 stores signals ambition, but the obstacles—voice, speed, and mobility—show that mass adoption remains uncertain. The story, from Futurism’s tech and transit desk, highlights both the promise and the limits of current humanoid robotics in everyday life.
