Shoppers at Albertsons, United and Market Street supermarkets across Texas and New Mexico will soon see a new entity roaming the aisles.

That new entity will be a long rectangle of black, white and red or orange on wheels. It is a robot named Tally, and is part of a new improvement initiative that began in October across these supermarkets, the company confirmed on Friday.

What is Tally, and what does it do?

Tally is an “innovative, autonomous robot that is part of Simbe’s market-leading store intelligence platform.” The robot will travel the aisles of select stores three to four times every day to scan shelves, and can identify as much as 10 times more issues than manual checks.

The scans will alert stores and “business intelligence teams” daily with data, which can be used to show what needs restocking and new price tags. In turn, the release stated this should “positively impact sales as stores see better product availability and pricing accuracy.”

The release also stated that the implementation of Tally is to “complement the work of store team members, not replace them.” By taking care of the repetitive inventory tasks, employees will be free to work on different duties.

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“The Tally robot allows us to address inventory and other challenges withincredible precision, enabling our store teams to focus on what matters most—serving our guests,” said Reyes Jimenez, chief information officer of The United Family.

Tally will operate autonomously, but discreetly. While it works, it will make soft noises to alert customers to its presence. If it encounters a customer, it will either pause, go around or turn around and come back later. Customers will not be photographed or filmed at any point by Tally.

United welcomed customers to provide feedback on Tally during the pilot, with will go from October 2024 through January 2025. At the end, The United Family will review the data and discuss next steps, which could include more stores getting Tally robots.

“We are excited about the improvements this AI and Robotics technology will bring to our stores and are eager to evaluate its potential for expansion to other locations,” Jimenez said.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated. Propane burners roar and hundreds of the uniquely shaped balloons speckle the sky with vibrant colors.

Everyone usually bundles up in layers to protect against a morning chill that helps pilots stay in the air longer, but this year’s fiesta could be the warmest on record, organizers say.

Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for days in a city that on Monday recorded its hottest temperature this late in the year, at 93 degrees Fahrenheit , according to the National Weather Service.

Globally, things have been trending hotter too. It’s likely this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.

While past fiestas have had a warm day here or there, spokesman Tom Garrity said the prediction for prolonged heat is rare.

For pilots, it could mean less time aloft or carrying less weight in their baskets.

Typically, when the mornings are cool, less fuel is needed to get the balloons to rise. Fiesta veterans explain it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures greater than what’s on the outside.

“With cooler weather, pilots are able to fly for longer duration,” Garrity said. “But when you have warmer temperatures, it just means that you pop up, you go up a little bit and you come back down. So just some shorter flights.”

Still, ballooning happens year-round in many places, including in the Phoenix area, which has seen its share of record-breaking temperatures over recent months.

“These are really non-issues from a spectator’s standpoint,” said Troy Bradley, an accomplished balloon pilot who has been flying for decades. “I don’t see any difference other than they won’t be freezing in the pre-dawn hours.”

Even the fiesta’s official meteorologist has joked about the possibility of wearing shorts this year.

This year’s fiesta also features 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will be making their fiesta debut. That includes Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name who is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and traditions.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — One of the most photographed events in the world is set to kick off Saturday with a mass ascension of color for the 52nd annual Albuquerque International Balloon Fiesta.

The nine-day gathering draws hundreds of thousands of spectators and pilots to New Mexico each fall for the rare opportunity to be within arm’s reach as the giant balloons are unpacked and inflated. Propane burners roar and hundreds of the uniquely shaped balloons speckle the sky with vibrant colors.

Everyone usually bundles up in layers to protect against a morning chill that helps pilots stay in the air longer, but this year’s fiesta could be the warmest on record, organizers say.

Morning lows and afternoon highs are expected to be above average for days in a city that on Monday recorded its hottest temperature this late in the year, at 93 degrees Fahrenheit (33.8 Celsius), according to the National Weather Service.

Globally, things have been trending hotter too. It’s likely this year will end up as the warmest humanity has measured, the European climate service Copernicus reported in early September.

While past fiestas have had a warm day here or there, spokesman Tom Garrity said the prediction for prolonged heat is rare.

For pilots, it could mean less time aloft or carrying less weight in their baskets.

Typically, when the mornings are cool, less fuel is needed to get the balloons to rise. Fiesta veterans explain it’s all about generating lift by heating the air inside the envelope to temperatures greater than what’s on the outside.

“With cooler weather, pilots are able to fly for longer duration,” Garrity said. “But when you have warmer temperatures, it just means that you pop up, you go up a little bit and you come back down. So just some shorter flights.”

Still, ballooning happens year-round in many places, including in the Phoenix area, which has seen its share of record-breaking temperatures over recent months.

“These are really non-issues from a spectator’s standpoint,” said Troy Bradley, an accomplished balloon pilot who has been flying for decades. “I don’t see any difference other than they won’t be freezing in the pre-dawn hours.”

Even the fiesta’s official meteorologist has joked about the possibility of wearing shorts this year.

This year’s fiesta also features 106 balloons in special shapes, 16 of which will be making their fiesta debut. That includes Mazu, modeled after the sea goddess of the same name who is deeply rooted in Taiwanese culture and traditions.

Susan Montoya Bryan, The Associated Press