![HIGH-TECH: Isabella Morris, 11, of Shortland watching as the robot 'Charlie' scans an aisle at Woolworths Charlestown. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers HIGH-TECH: Isabella Morris, 11, of Shortland watching as the robot 'Charlie' scans an aisle at Woolworths Charlestown. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H4rQr3kwJCDkT9nukzGYK/7e4c229d-78bb-4c61-ad8e-b644713bc501.jpg/r0_192_5391_3235_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Shoppers at Mayfield and Charlestown Woolworths may notice some rather high-tech looking staff members wandering around the stores.
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Robots have been introduced at the two locations to identify potential hazards on the shop floor. The robots then make a noise and flash lights to alert staff members so they can rectify the hazard.
The safety robots - which were named 'Charlie' and 'Mazie' by the store teams - also check stock levels on the shelves overnight when the store is closed, and throughout the day in high-demand areas.
A Woolworths spokesperson said the robots had been deployed to provide an "additional layer of safety" and would not impact on jobs at either store.
"The robots are designed to help make our team's lives easier," the spokesperson said.
Woolworths has been trialing the safety robots since 2019.
![IN STORE: Charlie the robot. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers IN STORE: Charlie the robot. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/H4rQr3kwJCDkT9nukzGYK/3e274829-3244-44fb-bef5-f5939488ec32.jpg/r0_280_5472_3369_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Currently 16 stores across the country are using the technology. The company said on average, the robots were helping detect about 570 potential slip or trip hazards each month.
The number of slip and trip incidents reported in the trial stores is about 20 percent lower than the national average.
Woolworths Mayfield Group Manager Leisa Tynan said the team was excited to have the cutting-edge technology at the stores.
"We expect there will be a bit of a novelty factor for our customers when they first see them, but they're designed to operate in busy environments and keep their distance from customers," Ms Tynan said.
"We'll be keen to hear the customer feedback over the coming weeks."