Trusting Tally: Robots are roaming the aisles of Giant Eagle, whistling while they work

'This is our introduction to robots and the future of what our lives are going to look like,' company exec says.

You soon might go grocery shopping alongside robots.

Tally, a robot made by San-Francisco-based Simbe Robotics, roams between rows of product, using its camera-powered "eyes" to scan items, ensure prices are correct and take inventory, whistling all the while so as not to startle shoppers. Tally's data helps grocery teams fulfill tasks, correcting and restocking.

"Tally can't stock the product, but Tally can tell us where to spend our time so that we can use our team members for the value work," said Keri Brown the senior vice president of retail operations for Giant Eagle supermarkets. "Taking care of the guests is what we want."

Giant Eagle began piloting Tally across four Pittsburgh-area stores in August.