Called the “first fully autonomous humanoid-operate store,” the robodega made its grand opening in Beijing in early August. Video shared on social media shows the Galbot G-1 — a dual-armed humanoid bot released in June 2024 — maneuvering around a small corner store, handing goods to customers like an old-fashioned shopkeeper.
“The humanoid robot Galbot G-1 runs everything, serving thousands of customers each day,” one video chimes. “From greeting visitors to serving drinks, snacks, and pharmaceuticals, Galbot autonomously handles every order, with zero teleoperation, powered by Galbot’s proprietary GroceryVLA and GraspVLA.”
While an advanced vending machine could arguably do the job just as well — the G-1 gets around slowly — it would not be nearly as buzzy. Video taken of the inaugural kiosk shows crowds of people lining up to take the G-1 through its paces and watch the spectacle.
Though it remains a proof-of-concept in many respects, Galbot is set to rapidly expand its kiosks throughout the nation. Last week, the company opened another location in the Summer Palace, a major tourist haven in Beijing.
In an interview, Galbot CEO Wen Airong said the company plans to roll the kiosks out to 100 stores across Ten Chinese Cities within the next year. Ultimately, there are two main challenges for the G-1, he says: natural voice interaction, and improved operation speeds.
