MOV.AI today announced that Hikrobot, a global provider of machine vision and mobile robots, has implemented MOV.AI Robotics Engine Platform in its F4-1000 pallet mover. In addition, BOWE Group will rapidly deploy the robots for select applications, it said.
“I am truly excited about the collaboration with Hikrobot and BOWE, since it is very much focused on providing end customers with value,” said Motti Kushnir, CEO of MOV.AI, in a release. “The combination of Hikrobot state-of-the-art hardware and our Robotics Engine Platform created a result in advanced autonomous capabilities such as pallet detection, the ability to drop pallets in a grid layout and more.”
Tel Aviv, Israel-based MOV.AI said it provides manufacturers and integrators with tools to quickly create enterprise-grade autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and bring them to market. The company's software is based on the Robot Operating System (ROS) and packaged in Web-based interface.
Hikrobot rapidly integrates MOV.AI into F4-1000
Advanced intralogistics and warehouse operators are increasingly relying on automation to meet business goals, noted MOV.AI. To succeed, they require AMRs that can easily be integrated into production environments and that can rapidly adapt to changing needs, it said.
Faced with these demands, Hikrobot decided that its hardware could benefit from a secure software layer that provides advanced autonomy and collaboration with systems, equipment and humans, as well as rapid deployment and frictionless updates.
The Hangzhou, China-based company chose MOV.AI Robotics Engine Platform to meet those requirements. MOV.AI said it provides tools for advanced automation, including navigation, localization, and calibration.
The platform features a visual integrated development environment (IDE) based on ROS, as well as off-the-shelf algorithms and integrations. MOV.AI also offers interoperable fleet management, flexible interfaces with warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, and cybersecurity compliance.
“The speed with which we integrated the MOV.AI Robotics Engine Platform into our AMR is an indication of the change in pace in our industry,” said Libbo Feng, vice president at Hikrobot. “After less than three months of work, the F4-1000 autonomous pallet mover is now ready to be deployed and operate in an 85% dynamic environment surrounded by humans and other machines.”
Hikrobot said it focuses on the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), smart logistics, and smart manufacturing. The company said it has built an open cooperation ecosystem as it serves customers with innovative technology.
BOWE Group to add AMRs to its own offerings
“Intralogistics operators face continuously growing market demand with constrained resources,” said Mike Swift, managing director of BOWE WMS software and AMRs, U.S. “BOWE Group, as a leading provider of automation to intralogistics and manufacturing companies, is proud to be on the forefront of the evolution that delivers solutions to this problem.”
“With this three-way collaboration, we can provide proven solutions to our customers that provide rapid payback and value for any customers that are moving high-volumes of pallets within their facilities,” he added. “We intend to offer these AMRs for both stand-alone applications and as a combination with our existing automation offerings to further increase the productivity of our solutions.”
For more than 75 years, the BOWE Group said its systems have optimized production workflows across a wide range of industries. The Augsburg, Germany-based company claimed that it is a leading supplier of smart automation and IoT software for “the entire internal value-added chain.”
BOWE Group has three divisions, including BOWE SYSTEC for efficient systems for inserting, plastic card mailing, and mail sorting. BOWE Intralogistics supplies technologies for e-commerce, multichannel retail, parcel distribution services, and manufacturing. BOWE IQ offers software for machine control, warehouse management, process optimization, tracking, and the integrated management of complex, networked automation scenarios.
Since 2010, BOWE has been wholly owned by the Lübeck, Germany-based Possehl Group. With around 1,000 employees, some 20 subsidiaries, and over 50 general representatives, BOWE GROUP guarantees fast and local advice, sales, and service support for customers around the world. It led an $8.2 million investment round in MOV.AI in November 2022.
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