U.S. - This fall, Lowe’s will introduce LoweBot in 11 stores throughout the San Francisco Bay area. LoweBot is a NAVii™ autonomous retail service robot developed by Fellow Robots. LoweBot will roll out in phases over a seven-month period beginning in September in San Jose, California, and will further explore how robots can meet the needs of both customers and employees.

LoweBot will add a layer of support to amplify the advice of Lowe’s employees as it helps customers with simple questions, enabling more time for employees to focus on delivering project expertise and personalized service. Having the ability to scan inventory and capture real-time data, LoweBot will also help detect patterns or gaps that will ultimately influence business decisions.

LoweBot was developed through a partnership between Lowe’s Innovation Labs and Fellow Robots. The partnership was initiated through SU Labs, a Singularity University program that connects corporate innovation teams with startups and other organizations to explore exponentially accelerating technologies and create new sustainable business solutions.

“We designed the NAVii robot to make the shopping experience easier for consumers – simplifying the process of finding the product you’re looking for – while also managing the back-end and keeping shelf inventory up-to-date for the retailer,” said Marco Mascorro, chief executive officer of Fellow Robots. “Leaving the data and simple recommendations to NAVii allows Lowe’s employees to devote their attention to the Lowe’s customer, to provide them with thoughtful advice and personalized service.”