Submit a Manuscript to the Journal
Advanced Robotics
For a Special Issue on
Technology for retail store automation
Manuscript deadline
Special Issue Editor(s)
Assoc. Prof. Kazuyoshi Wada,
Tokyo Metropolitan University, Japan
k_wada@tmu.ac.jp
Dr. Noriaki Ando,
AIST, Japan
Prof. Tetsunari Inamura,
Tamagawa University, Japan
Technology for retail store automation
Today, retail stores are gaining attention as a field for the social implementation of human-collaborative robots. Among them, convenience stores have become an essential social infrastructure due to their convenience and accessibility. However, they face pressing challenges in reducing personnel and labor costs, as they require a small number of employees to perform various tasks. Tasks such as product display, cleaning, and customer service are particularly well suited for robotics, but these tasks present significant challenges for robots due to the frequent rotation of a wide variety of products and the need to operate in tight store environments where customers are shopping.
This special issue presents the latest related technologies and research examples aimed at automating various tasks in retail stores. The scope includes robots capable of performing tasks such as product display, cleaning, and customer service, as well as related technologies, real-world implementation examples, and system development cases from the WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge.
We also welcome survey and short papers that clarify current essential topics in technology for retail store automation. Prospective contributed papers may cover, but are not limited to, the following topics:
• Products display
• Floor and restroom cleaning
• Customer interaction
• Store clerk support
• Robotic hands for products handling
• Products recognition
• Sensor Technology
• Human-robot collaboration
• AI and Machine Learning
• WRS Future Convenience Store Challenge
Submission Instructions
- The full-length manuscript (either PDF file or MS word file) should be sent to the office of Advanced Robotics, the Robotics Society of Japan through the WEB site of Advanced Robotics (https://www.rsj.or.jp/pub/ar/submission.html).
- Select special issue title "Technology for retail store automation” when submitting your paper to Submission Portal.
- Details of types of papers that will be accepted is Full paper (up to around 6000 words), Short paper (up to around 3500 words), or Survey paper (up to around 12000 words). Please select the paper category from Research Article (Full paper), Short paper, or Survey paper when you submit your manuscript.
- Sample form of the manuscript as well as the Instruction for Authors is available at the WEB site (https://www.rsj.or.jp/pub/ar/submission.html).
- Expected publication dates: August 2026 (Advanced Robotics vol. 40, issue 15).