This project focused on the development of a mobile robotic system for automated shelf-stocking tasks in convenience stores.

The robot integrates multiple functional subsystems, including a mobile platform, an XYZ positioning stage, a lifting mechanism, product recognition, and a robotic hand to autonomously pick and place products on store shelves.

This was a collaborative laboratory project, with individual subsystems developed and improved by different students as their own research topics.

My primary contribution was not the development of every subsystem itself, but system integration, electrical and software infrastructure, reliability improvement, and technical team coordination.

I worked across subsystem boundaries to understand how the different technologies interacted and helped integrate them into a complete robotic system capable of performing the intended task reliably.

Through repeated participation in the Future Convenience Store Challenge (FCSC), the robot was continuously improved and ultimately became capable of autonomous shelf-stocking operation.

Robotic System

Automated shelf stocking is a challenging robotic task that requires many different technologies to work together.

The robot consists of multiple functional units, including:

• Mobile platform

• XYZ positioning stage

• XYZ-stage lifting mechanism

• Product recognition system

• Robotic hand

• Electrical and power systems

• Motion and actuator control

• System-level software

Many of these subsystems were developed by different laboratory members as individual research topics.

My role was to understand the system as a whole, coordinate the interfaces between these independently developed technologies, and integrate them into a complete robotic system.

My Role — System Integration & Technical Leadership

Over the years, my role expanded from hands-on engineering development to system-level integration and technical coordination of the competition team.

My major contributions included:

• Establishing the base OpenRTM component architecture

• Planning and implementing the overall electrical system

• Integrating mechanical, electrical, software, and control subsystems

• Designing and improving cable routing and cable carriers

• Developing and refining emergency-stop circuits

• Implementing status indicators and other operational hardware

• Supporting actuator control and system-level software development

• Planning integration tests and full-system verification

• Developing pre-run inspection procedures

• Identifying potential system bottlenecks and failure points

• Coordinating technical work across the competition team

A significant part of this work involved engineering details that are rarely the central topic of academic research but are essential to making a real robotic system operate reliably.

These included wiring, cable management, safety circuits, status indicators, integration procedures, and operational preparation.

Team Leadership

For the Future Convenience Store Challenge, I coordinated a team of approximately 10 students.

My responsibilities included:

• Assigning technical responsibilities

• Managing the development schedule

• Planning integration and testing

• Tracking progress through regular briefings

• Identifying technical bottlenecks

• Coordinating work across different subsystems

At the same time, I remained directly involved in hands-on engineering, including software development, electrical systems, wiring, hardware improvements, debugging, and system integration.

My role therefore combined technical leadership with hands-on engineering.

Continuous Development Through Competition

During an early competition, the system was unable to complete its intended task and eventually timed out. That frustrating experience became one of the motivations for me to work more deeply on the robot.

Over the following years, the team repeatedly improved the system through the cycle:

Develop → Integrate → Test → Compete → Evaluate → Improve

Each competition revealed new technical limitations and provided clear priorities for the next stage of development.

Over time, the robot evolved from a system that could barely operate into one capable of performing shelf-stocking tasks autonomously.

World Robot Summit 2025

The final Future Convenience Store Challenge was held from July 13–19, 2025, at EXPO Messe “WASSE” during Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, Japan.

Our laboratory team achieved: Stock and Disposal Winner and Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Award — Overall Champion.

For me, the most meaningful part was not simply winning the competition, but seeing a robotic system that had once struggled to operate eventually perform autonomous shelf-stocking tasks successfully.

The result represented the culmination of years of development, troubleshooting, system integration, and teamwork.

What I Learned

This project strongly shaped the way I approach engineering.

A complex system is not completed simply by assembling individually advanced technologies. Mechanical systems, electronics, software, controls, safety systems, operating procedures, and people all need to work together.

Through this project, I learned to look beyond individual components and take responsibility for making the entire system work.

Publication

Part of the development of this robotic system was published in Advanced Robotics:
Seki, M., Wada, K., Kitajima, Y., Hashimoto, M., & Tomizawa, T. “Development of XYZ stage-type display robot system for stock and disposal tasks in convenience stores.” Advanced Robotics, 36(23), 1252–1272, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1080/01691864.2022.2134736

More Information

Wada Laboratory - Tokyo Metropolitan University

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