Monday, October 26, 2026 · Daily editionET --:--:--

ServiceStore shelf-scanning robot

Tally

by Simbe Robotics

Tally is a tall wheeled robot with cameras that drives up and down shop aisles on its own. It checks which shelves need restocking, finds items in the wrong place and checks shelf prices. MIT Technology Review, 11 Nov 2015

4

Stage 4 of 5

Paying customers

Which rule placed it
Evidence
Independently reported
Human help
None reported
Last milestone
21 Sept 2026

01Can I get it?

Yes, in places

Where it works today
Working in grocery and other stores, including Kroger, BJ's Wholesale Club and Schnucks; Simbe says it has more than 3,000 robots under contract. TechRepublic, 22 Sept 2026
Published price
No published price in our sources.
Human help
Our sources report it working without human help.

03Safety and incidents

What has gone wrong

No crashes, recalls or regulator reports in our sources. That is not proof none happened; we add them when a regulator or trusted outlet reports one.

How we placed it

The rule, not an opinion

Stages are worked out by published rules from the dated milestones above. We never rate robots, and no maker can pay to change a stage.

  1. 5

    Regulator-cleared or mass market

    A regulator has cleared it where approval applies: FDA clearance or approval for a medical robot, a permit to run with no one aboard for a self-driving vehicle, or an FAA approval for routine drone flights. Or: Widely sold: sales in the hundreds of thousands, or a product category you can buy in ordinary shops.

  2. 4

    Paying customersThis robot

    Delivered to customers who pay for it, beyond a trial, or a paid service the public can use.

    Placed by: Simbe said it had passed 3,000 robots under contract, across more than 75 store brands in nearly a dozen countries (21 Sept 2026); Simbe's 500th Tally robot went into service across Kroger's grocery stores, at Kroger's Smith's Marketplace chain (Aug 2026).

  3. 3

    Pilot

    Working with a named customer in a real setting, as a trial.

  4. 2

    Pre-orders

    Orders, reservations or deposits taken, with nothing delivered yet.

  5. 1

    Demo only

    Shown in videos, staged events or a factory, with no units working for customers.

What we couldn't confirm. No price found. The 3,000 figure counts robots under contract, not necessarily all in service.