Rossmann pilots humanoid robot
- German retailer Rossmann deployed UBTECH’s Walker S2 humanoid robot at its Burgwedel logistics center as a pilot. - The trial is set to run through 2026 and focuses on repetitive warehouse tasks in a retail logistics environment. - The pilot shows retailers testing humanoid robots to augment routine picking and reduce repetitive workload (x.com).
Rossmann is testing a humanoid robot in its Burgwedel logistics center, putting UBTECH’s Walker S2 into live warehouse work through the end of 2026. (unternehmen.rossmann.de) The German drugstore chain said it received the robot on March 17 and announced the pilot on March 26. Terra Robotics, based in Löhne, delivered the machine. (unternehmen.rossmann.de) Rossmann said the test will examine how Walker S2 fits into existing logistics workflows, what information-technology infrastructure it needs, and how quickly new applications can be programmed. The company said the robot is aimed at repetitive and physically awkward tasks that can strain warehouse staff. (unternehmen.rossmann.de) A logistics center is the back end of retail: pallets come in, cases get sorted, and orders move out to stores. Rossmann is using the pilot to see whether a human-shaped machine can work inside that setup without redesigning the whole building around fixed automation. (heise.de) That is the appeal of humanoid robots for retailers and warehouse operators. Instead of installing a new conveyor line or a cage-built robot arm for one station, companies are testing machines that can walk to different tasks and use tools and shelves built for people. (humanoidsdaily.com) Rossmann said the 2026 test follows a phased roadmap, starting with early use cases, then gradual practical deployment, and ending with an assessment of whether a broader rollout makes sense. The company said it will also watch how employees experience working alongside the robot. (unternehmen.rossmann.de) UBTECH markets Walker S2 as an industrial humanoid for logistics and factory work, and Rossmann said the robot has 52 degrees of freedom, a measure of how many joints and motions it can control. Trade coverage of the pilot also highlighted one headline feature: the robot can swap its own battery. (unternehmen.rossmann.de) (ubtrobot.com) (transport-online.de) Rossmann described itself as one of the first companies in Europe to receive a Walker S2. The company said the point of the yearlong test is not a publicity demo but a decision on where humanoid robots could actually be scaled inside its own logistics network. (unternehmen.rossmann.de)
