The design and implementation of a low-cost robot model suitable for items retrieval in a lightweight inventory system are discussed. A Cartesian-type guided manipulator is constructed. The robot controller design is based on the utilization of a low-cost PC supported by a front-end microcomputer. Dedicated, simple, store-operator menu-based commands are developed for robot programming. The design has resulted in a compact, low-cost, and moderate performance robot system. The use of a single-chip controller to replace the front end computer with a considerable reduction in the required hardware is suggested. The design also lends itself to both software and hardware expansion.>