A pair of robotic arms reaches for a row of canned drinks on a store shelf. Closing one steely palm around a can, the robot firmly picks it up and places it on another rack. It then repeats the action over and over, growing more precise each time.

Just behind it, a team of people orchestrates every move through connected virtual reality (VR) gear. Across the room, several groups of humans huddle around their own robots, practising the same controlled motions with various grocery store items.