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Dive Brief: As automated technology continues to spread across the grocery industry, startup Cleveron has unveiled a new robotic pickup kiosk that can retrieve customer orders within 20 seconds, according to a company press release emailed to Grocery Dive. Workers fill the robotic kiosk with grocery orders, then customers scan a mobile QR code or enter a passcode at the console to retrieve their groceries. The unit operates similar to an order vending system Walmart began testing in 2017 at a store in Oklahoma, though a different company manufactures that system. Cleveron also manufactures Walmart’s Pickup Towers, which store non-grocery pickup orders for customers and debuted in stores three years ago. The Cleveron unit comes in two sizes — a 23-foot-long version and a 43-foot-long one. Both are roughly the width of a parking spot. The smaller unit holds 124 crates while the larger unit holds 276 crates. Each crate can be manufactured with one or two temperature zones to accommodate perishables, general merchandise and frozen goods. Dive Insight: Automation has unfolded across stores, checkout lanes and fulfillment warehouses as grocers seek to boost efficiency in their operations and improve the customer experience. Now, advanced robotics promises to make order pickup faster and more convenient. The concept of pickup kiosks isn’t new. Hy-Vee has rolled out pickup lockers both at stores and at sites like hospitals that are situated close to shoppers. Customers place their order online, specify their pickup point and then enter a passcode at their designated locker. Amazon has rolled out pickup lockers that operate by a similar system and have become valuable to consumers who appreciate the added security and flexibility in gathering their orders. Cleveron’s new kiosk — officially known as the Cleveron 501 — is notable because it further automates the pickup process, […]