Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.28
April 26, 2021
…if their opinion had changed since the pandemic. When COVID-19 hit Virginia in March, the number of people signing up for Wing's service and ordering drone deliveries spiked. Wing partnered with additional local businesses and worked with a school librarian to deliver books. The survey results suggested that these contributions had helped. The pandemic popped up frequently in the open-ended question about positive aspects of the technology. Fifty-eight percent of Christiansburg survey respondents said that their opinion of drone delivery had improved—a much bigger boost than was measured in a 2020 survey from the Consumer Technology Association that polled a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.23
April 23, 2021
…costs down. How much have trade disruptions and the COVID-19 pandemic affected Sarcos' supply chain and testing? Wolff: Not much because we're not yet producing in volume. We had some challenges with some custom fabricators for components that weren't off the shelf. We try to use SMEs [small and midsize enterprises] around the world, but if someone had COVID, a small company would have to shut down completely. We never completely shut down ourselves. There's no question that the pandemic slowed work—it's hard to develop complex systems without people, and it had as much as a 50% impact on productivity.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.77
April 23, 2021
…in real-time operations As e-commerce growth soared during the COVID-19 pandemic, the need to address labor shortges, increase road safety, and meet customer expectations for rapid and contactless delivery has also risen. Gatik said its fleet of Class 3-6 trucks is equipped with multi-temperature compartments and operates seven days a week, 12 hours a day, on routes up to 300 miles in multiple markets across North America. Gatik uses Velodyne's Alpha Prime and Ultra Puck lidar sensors to support short-haul logistics with precise, reliable navigation. The sensors provide the range, accuracy, and resolution necessary for reliable autonomous logistics services, said…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.78
April 21, 2021
…35,000 orders and helped reduce human contact during the COVID-19 pandemic. This month, Meituan launched the next generation of its delivery robot, which it said has a range of 80 km (49.7 mi.) on a single charge, cargo capacity of 150 kg (330 lb.), and perception capabilities to more than 150 m (492.1 ft.). The company is also testing drone deliveries. Tencent Holdings has a 17.7% stake in Meituan, which has invested $15 million in PuduTech's restaurant robots. Meituan also participated in last week's Series C round for 3D vision firm Mech-Mind Robotics. Meituan mainly uses human delivery drivers, but…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.34
April 21, 2021
…much more agile business. For example, during the current COVID-19 crisis, many of our customers have seen unanticipated peaks as the demand on ecommerce spiked. They were able to rapidly add additional Chucks and temporary labor to adjust for this demand, far more quickly than otherwise possible. And in some cases, they picked up and moved Chucks across their different facilities to support regional spikes in volume. Temporary and portable capacity is something that no traditional automation can offer. Related: See how keeping their automation solution flexible allowed DM Fulfillment Services to thrive in uncertain times. Final thoughts Increasing productivity…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.25
April 16, 2021
…created for this competition. The pandemic and beyond The COVID-19 pandemic increased interest in robotic avatars, but when it eases, do you expect that interest to continue? Morie: Avatar technologies can also help with lessening the carbon footprint of travel and provide many more opportunities for those whom travel is simply not possible. As “avataring” in to a robot body is immediate, hours that might have been spent in an airport or train station are no longer lost. As we get more sophisticated ways to transmit our senses—like touch and smell—this may become a preferred way to travel, for many…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 2.12
April 16, 2021
…market position. Key research findings Considering the impact of Covid-19, Quadrant research has revised the growth estimates and market forecast for the global AMR market. The global AMR market, which has grown by 70.5% in 2019, is expected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 62.5% from 2020-2025. The AMR market is valued at $812.8 million in 2019 and is expected to reach $14.98 billion by 2025. Competition dynamics & trends 6 River Systems, Geek+, IAM Robotics, Locus Robotics, and inVia Robotics are amongst the top performers and technology leaders in the 2020 SPARK Matrix analysis of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.33
April 16, 2021
…that's at 2010 levels—that's why injuries are increasing, and COVID-19 as increased pressure for worker safety.” “There are a lot of players in this market, but it's a fragmented industry, including telematics,” he noted. “In automotive and trucking, autonomy is huge, but in offroad or industrial mobility, it's just starting to grow.” “Since we came out of stealth, our revenue has more than doubled quarter over quarter,” added Agarwal. “Our team has grown to 20 people, and we expect it to double again in the next 12 to 18 months. We're growing the engineering team and adding to our customer…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 2.33
April 16, 2021
…at a time when constrained labor availability, concerns over COVID-19 exposure, and social distancing requirements are impacting fulfillment operations nationwide. To further exacerbate this dilemma, customer expectations around delivery time have drastically increased over the last few years. With Amazon as the number-one online retailer offering free one-day shipping–and, most recently, two-hour shipping–consumers expect their packages to arrive immediately and free of charge. This shift in expectations has raised the bar for fulfillment: If companies can’t keep up with Amazon’s standards, for example, they risk losing market share to competitors that can. Prior to the pandemic, retail, e-commerce, and business-to-business…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.43
April 14, 2021
…by artificial intelligence to improve fulfillment center efficiency. The COVID-19 pandemic may have accelerated e-commerce demand, but scarce labor has persisted as a driver of automation, said Lior Elazary, co-founder and CEO of inVia Robotics, which promoted its software at ProMat DX this week. “The uptick started in May of last year, and some customers have seen the largest volumes than they've ever seen,” he told Robotics 24/7. “They saw peaks much earlier in the year and couldn't get the labor force. Each quarter has been the best ever for inVia in turn.” inVia approaches warehouses holistically “At inVia, we're…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.37
April 14, 2021
…by 2030, predicts Guidehouse Insights. However, it's too soon to tell what the long-term impact will be of the COVID-19 pandemic on institutional cleaning.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.54
April 14, 2021
…service.” Geek+ helps Asda meet e-commerce demand As the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in online purchases, Asda ToYou experienced significant growth by enabling shoppers to combine activities including returns in a single trip to an Asda store. The demand for parcel-collection and return services has grown rapidly in the past 12 months, according to the company. At the same time, the service has expanded the number of retailers it supports. Over 100 are now available through Asda ToYou, which has processed 65% more returns than at the start of 2020. The supermarket placed 60 in its distribution in…
