PRESS RELEASE

A sari-sari store-inspired artificial intelligence (AI) environment simulation developed by researchers from the University of the Philippines (UP) has earned international recognition at the 2025 International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV), one of the world’s premier gatherings on computer vision and AI research.

The project, titled “Sari Sandbox: A Virtual Retail Store Environment for Embodied AI Agents,” was developed by a team led by Prof. Rowel O. Atienza of the UP Diliman College of Engineering’s Electrical and Electronics Engineering Institute.

It was chosen for the prestigious “Best of ICCV” showcase, selected from more than 12,000 global submissions.

“This recognition at ICCV, one of the most competitive conferences in AI, shows that the Philippines can stand alongside the world’s best researchers,” said Atienza.

Sari Sandbox is the first comprehensive virtual retail store simulation designed to train embodied AI agents in performing shopping-related tasks.

Using a photorealistic 3D environment and data collected from human participants through virtual reality, the system enables AI models to learn complex behaviors such as navigating aisles, reading product labels, checking expiration dates, and scanning barcodes — benchmarked against real human actions.

Lead researcher Janika Deborah Gajo, a BS Computer Engineering student, said the team surveyed multiple convenience stores across Metro Manila to ensure the simulation “accurately represents the retail experience,” noting that “interactive digital replicas of convenience stores as AI playgrounds do not currently exist.”

The study highlights the potential of AI in the retail sector — particularly in the sari-sari store model, which accounts for nearly 70 percent of manufactured goods sold in the Philippines.

The team envisions that systems trained within Sari Sandbox could support inventory management, store layout design, product placement optimization, customer service, and supply chain management — applications that could benefit the country’s estimated 1.3 million sari-sari stores.

Co-author Emmanuel G. Maminta, a PhD student in AI, said their goal was to “build AI that can make smart, practical decisions that mirror human reasoning. By developing AI capable of tasks like budgeting and grocery planning — things every Filipino understands — we’re advancing practical AI grounded in Filipino ingenuity.”

UP president Angelo A. Jimenez lauded the recognition as a milestone for Philippine AI research.

“More importantly, it demonstrates how our researchers are leveraging Filipino cultural contexts to advance global scientific knowledge while addressing challenges directly relevant to our economy,” he said.

The project’s full research paper, simulation environment, and datasets are available as open-source resources through the project website.