WATCH: Marty the robot escapes a grocery store, sparks hilarious reactions online

A Facebook video has gone viral where ‘Marty’ the robot assistant at the grocery store chain GIANT, was seen escaping from a store in Lehigh Valley's Hellertown borough in Pennsylvania. The video spans around 15 seconds and has got the internet to come up with comical reactions.

The video has gained more than 580,000 likes since it was uploaded three days ago.

Marty is a service robot that has been patrolling the aisles of the hypermarket and retailer GIANT’s outlets across the Mid-Atlantic since 2019. It points out spilled liquids as well as other hazards which its human coworkers later address.

In the viral Facebook video, the robot was seen taking a stroll in the parking lot of a GIANT store in Northampton County. A shopper posted a video where the robot seemed to be making an escape from work.

However, its plans to escape did not work as one of its human coworkers escorted it back inside the store, ending its short-lived freedom.

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The internet supports Marty the robot's escape and demands its freedom

The majority of viewers have been supportive of the robot’s run for freedom. Many said that even the robot got frustrated with its workplace, so much so that it took the decision to just run away from the store.

They said that the robot represented everyone who wants to walk out of their jobs. However, Marty had the courage to actually do it. People consider the robot to be inspiring for this cause.

Some saw it as a foretelling of robots taking over the world. One person sarcastically wrote that the manager of the store makes the robot work all day without paying him, and would not even let him take a break.

Another wrote that the robot has become self-aware. One user said that the manager was not paying the robot enough salary and demanded that Marty gets a raise.

People also sarcastically described how the incident turned into lighthearted fun, however, when the robots would get hold of weapons, it wouldn't be fun and games anymore.

One person also praised the robot over the fact that it was able to escape the store in the first place, without any of the employees realizing it. Another wrote that every person working in retail can empathize with the robot.

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People who usually shop from GIANT stores are acquainted with Marty the robot. It looks for out-of-stock items and spills around the aisles. The robot also performs other scanning tasks.

The service robot has a height similar to the tallest shelf in the grocery store. It comes in a gray and slender square body with cartoonish eyes. The device moves slowly and has cameras embedded in it to navigate customers to avoid bumping into them.

When it spots any spill or other hazards one can trip on, it alerts the customers by voicing out “Caution Hazard detected”. Marty then contacts the other store employees through the public announcement system at the store. It also scans shelves and checks products to detect missing labels or incorrect pricing.