Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 60.64
February 06, 2024
LAS VEGAS – Ocado Group recently announced a deal for Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) to provide automated fulfilment technology at a distribution site for McKesson Canada. The deal will see Ocado sell its unique warehouse fulfilment technology in a sector outside of grocery retail for the first time, and provide the AI-powered software applications necessary to operate that technology long term. McKesson Canada is a leading diversified healthcare provider in Canada and is the largest pharmaceutical distributor in the country. OIA on display at Manifest At Manifest 2024 in Las Vegas, the organization had its Ocado Storage and Retrieval (OSRS)…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.91
September 23, 2023
…of stealth, 6 River Systems announced its acquisition by Ocado,” said VandenBrook. “We were doing all of that [work around person to goods], but we were still getting questions about the picking arm, so we decided, 'Let's rebrand and better align to what we're doing and what we're about.'” The Meet Me person-to-goods system includes Lumabots (above) and the Pyxis software. Source: Onward Robotics Labor shortages still drive robotics demand Despite slowed economic and e-commerce growth and consolidation among mobile robot providers, VandenBrook expressed confidence in long-term demand for AMRs. “We went through our own downsizing in Q1,” he noted.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.14
September 14, 2023
…Berkshire Grey SoftBank Group March 2023 6 River Systems Ocado Group May 2023 Magazino Jungheinrich Aug. 2023 In March, Fast Company named OTTO Motors as one of the Most Innovative Companies for 2023. In May, Mitsubishi Electric Corp. invested an unspecified amount in Clearpath. Partners build advanced materials handling portfolio The companies said the combination of Rockwell’s partnerships in fixed robotic arms, systems such as Independent Cart Technology, and leadership in PLCs with OTTO Motors’ AMR capabilities will create a portfolio of advanced material handling offerings. Data from Rockwell’s offerings and OTTO Motors’ AMRs will be used in artificial intelligence-powered…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.87
June 24, 2023
…sale of mobile robot company 6 River Systems to Ocado (itself said to be up for purchase by Amazon.com) a sign of weakness in certain segments? Sharma: Supply chain issues were a big problem during the pandemic, as well as high demand from consumers. Home delivery had become critical, and then there were shortages on the worker side. You'd think that supply chains and warehousing would already be automated, but at least 50% in the U.S. is largely manual. Coupled with e-commerce demand and worker shortages, you'll have serious problems. Our team saw during COVID that a lot of these…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.66
May 18, 2023
…that it was selling 6 River Systems (6RS) to Ocado. Sources told Robotics 24/7 that Shopify had laid off as much as 85% of 6 River Systems' staff before selling it. Link said that news has probably left some of 6 River Systems' customers wondering what will happen next. He compared the transaction to Amazon purchasing Kiva Systems in 2012 and how much of that technology went in house and was no longer available to customers. “[Customers] are sitting there saying, 'I got my supply chain technology wrapped up in a Shopify/6 River Systems solution, and now this company Ocado…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.86
May 12, 2023
…Inc.'s layoffs and sale of 6 River Systems to Ocado Group PLC. According to industry observers, relatively few mobile robot suppliers are profitable, but most agreed that Locus is one of them. DHL Supply Chain said it plans to deploy Locus Origin robots across its global network of warehouses and distribution centers. The companies claimed that it is one of the industry's biggest AMR deals to date, growing from nearly 4,000 robots since 2021. DHL seeks select robot providers As a major third-party logistics provider (3PL), DHL works with several robotics suppliers, including AutoStore, Boston Dynamics, Crown Equipment, and Vecna…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.87
May 08, 2023
…6 River Systems' staff prior to selling it to Ocado Group PLC, partly in response to falling customer orders, sources told Robotics 24/7. CEO Tobias Lütke also announced that Shopify was laying off 20% of its total staff and that it was selling Shopify Logistics (formerly Deliverr) to Flexport. AMR market allegedly growing Market research firms have been predicting steady growth. The global market for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) could expand from $2 billion (U.S.) in 2022 to $9 billion by 2032, experiencing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15%, according to Global Market Insights Inc. Similarly, Research and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.45
May 05, 2023
…sale of mobile robot maker 6 River Systems to Ocado Group. Shopify also said it was laying off 20% of its staff. At the Cascadia Connect, Robotics, Automation, and AI event this week, a group of investors in the robotics industry discussed the economy and their considerations as part of the “ROI in RAAI: Investor Perspectives” panel. The discussion was moderated by Firdaus Pohowalla, a managing director at Cascadia Capital who helps leads the Seattle-based bank's robotics, automation, and AI division. The panel included investors who provide capital at various stages of the fundraising process: Jeremie Capron, partner and director…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 49.71
May 04, 2023
Ocado Group PLC today announced that it has agreed to acquire mobile robot provider 6 River Systems LLC from Shopify Inc. The companies did not disclose the financial terms. “We are delighted to welcome new colleagues to the Ocado family,” said James Matthews, CEO of Ocado Technology, in a brief press release. “6 River Systems brings exciting new IP and possibilities to the wider Ocado technology estate, as well as valuable commercial and R&D expertise in non-grocery retail segments.” Hatfield, U.K.-based Ocado Group provides e-commerce order-fulfilment systems to large grocery retailers worldwide. For the past two decades, the company said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.33
January 30, 2023
Kindred, part of Ocado Group, has released the results of an 18-month beta test of its INDUCT AI-powered robotic induction system. INDUCT automated the induction of more than one million items at 95% accuracy in a fast-paced global logistics center where the beta trial was held. “This was the most intense and demanding real-world scenario we could test in, and INDUCT emerged triumphant,” said Marin Tchakarov, CEO of Kindred. “By succeeding here, we have proven INDUCT can be successfully deployed now in any type of facility that uses induction.” Kindred INDUCT is a high-speed robotic workcell built on Kindred’s proprietary…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 21.37
January 11, 2023
…the operation of vehicles.” In addition, Oxbotica's collaborators include Ocado Group. The companies are jointly working on autonomous deliveries to fulfill customer orders. A software-defined vehicle from partner Applied EV, driven by Oxbotica, has already operated with no onboard driver on a publicly accessible road in Oxford. The company plans to launch in 2024 autonomous passenger shuttles and industry-specific vehicles in partnership with Applied EV, bp, NEVS, and ZF. Meanwhile, together with Wenco International Mining Systems Ltd., Oxbotica said it is bringing open autonomy to mining to improve safety and sustainability combined with lower operational costs. Applied EV and Ocado…
