Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.82
August 24, 2021
…year because of an e-commerce surge driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. OSARO said this demand has enabled it to secure robotics deployments in seven countries on five continents. OSARO said its systems bring together machine learning for object recognition with control software that adapts to customer data and environments. The company’s robotic piece-picking solution is optimized for warehouses and e-commerce fulfillment centers. Key challenges include high-SKU inventories, complex packaging, and fragile items requiring delicate handling. OSARO added that its systems can enable logistics operators to automate and scale order fulfillment, inventory induction and extraction, sortation, and singulation. The company said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.65
August 23, 2021
…the increased order volumes and labor shortages during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to ABI Research. Technologies such as augmented reality-powered smart glasses and handheld devices with enhanced capabilities are addressing productivity. In addition, autonomous, collaborative, and mobile robots are the most popular and fastest-growing systems in the warehouse workspace. “Mobile robots are at the heart of the warehouse robotics market and account for most shipments and revenue,” stated Adhish Luitel, an analyst for supply chain management and logistics at ABI Research. “These robots, made up of autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), are being used to move…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.41
August 18, 2021
…as they face a labor shortage aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a recent study from Deloitte and The Manufacturing Institute, by the end of 2020, the manufacturing industry had regained only 63% of jobs lost during the pandemic, even with job openings at near-record levels. “Given the foundational role the manufacturing sector plays in our nation’s economy, it is deeply concerning that at a time when jobs are in such high demand nationwide, the number of vacant entry-level manufacturing positions continues to grow,” stated Paul Wellener, vice chairman and U.S. industrial products and construction leader at Deloitte. Most…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 2.06
August 17, 2021
…retaining them was also problematic for ISN. Skilled warehouse associates have always been in short supply and with the COVID-19 pandemic – and the resulting boom in e-commerce fueling increased competition within the talent pool and higher than expected staff turnover – their availability was even more limited.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.31
August 12, 2021
…goods, which are growing exponentially this past year, with COVID-19 and everyone shipping products. Everyone is trying to optimize internal logistics, from candy to pharmaceuticals. They're also trying to limit fork truck traffic.” “Logistics and e-commerce is the third space we're seeing demand higher-payload robots,” he added. “There is demand for AMRs in grocery, but those are mainly smaller loads that are prepicked, sorted, and taken to areas to transfer to customers. Cold storage has come up quite a bit.” Although there is some interest in mobile manipulation, it has been more for UR cobot arms on the MiR250, and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.74
August 08, 2021
…system and reached over 100 cases even during the COVID-19 pandemic.” “As more hospitals around the world adopt XACT's robotic system and access to care continues to expand, we anticipate achieving new levels of momentum in the adoption of this technology by leading radiology practices around the world,” Levin said. Founded in 2013, XACT Robotics is a privately held company with offices in Hingham, Mass., and Caesarea, Israel. The company claimed that it has created the world's first and only “hands-free” robotic system combining image-based planning and monitoring with instrument insertion and steering capabilities. XACT ACE enables surgeons to get…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.45
August 06, 2021
…order to meet huge spikes in demand due to COVID-19. The AMRs now provide the leading retailer with the ability to pick an additional 2,000 orders per hour and add a further 20,000 stock-keeping-units (SKUs) to its original 80,000. These capabilities played a major role in the e-commerce leader being able to grapple with its busiest-ever peak period on record last year. Previously the retailer had invested in traditional large-scale automation, which was serving Catch Group quite well until COVID-19 forced the entire country to shop online – driving a dramatic shift in consumer behaviour. Two of the most common…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.43
August 04, 2021
…labor shortages and the boom in e-commerce during the COVID-19 pandemic. New tools are helping to orchestrate people, robots, and critical software for greater productivity. Lucas Systems today said it is partnering with Fetch Robotics Inc. to offer tailored systems for harmonizing warehouse workers with Fetch's autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs. “The future environment of warehouses and distribution centers will be a mix of people, robots, machines, and systems all working together,” stated Ken Ramoutar, chief marketing officer at Lucas Systems. “The precise orchestration of all the pieces will be key to achieving a competitive advantage in performance.” Wexford, Pa.-based…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.41
August 02, 2021
…year, partly because of accelerated e-commerce demand during the COVID-19 pandemic, robotics has rapidly moved from trials to deployment in warehouses. This trend will likely continue. Manufacturers such as Nimble Robotics are investing heavily in this market, and industry analysts predict that autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) alone will be worth $6.8 billion in 2025. Increasingly sophisticated machine learning algorithms enable robots to rapidly identify objects. Thanks to lidar and infrared sensors, they can perceive items in superhuman ways rather than rely on sight or touch alone. Speaking of touch, robot suppliers have studied and applied human-machine interaction lessons, with touchscreens…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 2.07
August 01, 2021
…bargain, from shipping vessels to materials handling equipment. The COVID-19 pandemic presented unique challenges to global supply chains, with lockdowns and public health effects wreaking havoc and causing delays for finely tuned manufacturing operations. But that was just the beginning – semiconductor and other commodity shortages in the automotive industry led to temporary plant closings and a shift to a more proactive approach to component sourcing, rather than the purely lean methods that have guided manufacturers for decades. Unique global events and related supply issues are spurring change in manufacturing. What was once a laser focus on the just-in-time paradigm…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.21
July 30, 2021
…year or early in 2022. “This summer, because of COVID-19, we're planning to arrange online streams from the field in different languages to show how our robots actually work,” said Emelyanov. A vision of future farming Not only is technology changing how farmers manage crops; it's also changing the nature of the business, according to Emelyanov. “The farmer used to own his land and his machines, and he took on all the risks of food manufacturing, defined by time spent seeding, spraying, and harvesting,” he said. “He would use his own experience and that handed down by his Uncle Frank.”…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.54
July 28, 2021
…inVia Robotics’ global reach.” inVia revenue grows sixfold The COVID-19 pandemic has increased adoption of optimization technologies for order fulfillment. In the U.S. alone, e-commerce experienced 44% year-over-year growth, requiring online retailers and logistics providers to keep up with record shopping demand. Last year, inVia Robotics reported that its revenue grew by 600%. Related content inVia CEO Lior Elazary recently participated in a free Robotics 24/7 Hot Seat webinar on “Advances in Goods-to-Person Automation.” The company said its platform programmatically digitizes every logistics workflow, using AI to continually optimize machines and people. The inVia Logic software orchestrates the most efficient…
