7-Eleven Japan Taps Telexistence for AI-Powered Humanoid Robots in Stores by 2029

7-Eleven Japan Plans Humanoid Robot Deployment by 2029 in Partnership with Telexistence

Convenience store giant Seven-Eleven Japan is partnering with robotics firm Telexistence to develop and deploy generative AI-powered humanoid robots in its stores, setting an ambitious target date of 2029 for the rollout. The initiative will focus on a new humanoid model named "Astra," designed to handle routine in-store tasks and alleviate mounting pressure from labor shortages and rising operational costs.

The partnership aims to move beyond simple automation, leveraging advanced AI to create a versatile robotic worker. By automating tasks like restocking shelves and other back-room operations, the companies state the goal is to free up human employees to focus on more complex, customer-facing services, ultimately enhancing the in-store experience.

A New Brain for the Job

At the core of the "Astra" robot is a Vision-Language-Action (VLA) model. Unlike traditional robots that follow rigid, pre-programmed instructions, VLA models are a form of generative AI that integrates visual perception, language comprehension, and physical action. This allows the robot to understand more general commands, perceive its surroundings, and decide on a course of action—a crucial capability for navigating the unpredictable environment of a retail store.

The VLA approach is rapidly becoming the standard for general-purpose robotics, with several major players in the humanoid space building their systems around similar models. Competitors like Figure AI with its Helix model, 1X with its Redwood AI, and Google DeepMind's work on Gemini Robotics all leverage this architecture to enable robots to interpret complex commands and interact with the physical world in more flexible, human-like ways.

A major challenge for developing such models is the need for vast amounts of real-world training data. The partnership plans to tackle this by leveraging Telexistence's existing data platform from its "Ghost" beverage-stocking robots and combining it with the operational scale of Seven-Eleven's more than 20,000 stores. This creates a massive, real-world training ground that could significantly accelerate Astra's development and give the project a competitive edge. The collaboration also involves the AI Robot Association (AIRoA), which includes academics from Waseda University and the University of Tokyo, as well as Toyota Motor Corporation.

A Pragmatic Timeline in a Hyped Field

While the field of humanoid robotics is buzzing with impressive demonstrations, practical, large-scale deployment remains a future goal. Significant hurdles, including battery life, cost, and the ability to safely navigate cluttered public spaces, are still being addressed across the industry.

The 2029 target date reflects a pragmatic understanding of these challenges. Rather than an overnight replacement of human labor, the Seven-Eleven and Telexistence partnership represents a long-term strategic investment in a technology that could fundamentally reshape retail operations over the next decade. The success or failure of Astra in a real-world setting will be a closely watched benchmark for the entire humanoid robotics industry.