Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.48
March 02, 2020
…at the role that emerging technologies—artificial intelligence, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and the Internet of Things (IoT)—are already playing in helping logistics operations approach new ways of managing demands. “So often it takes an overwhelming phenomenon like e-commerce to bring new technologies into the fold of every-day operations,” said Michel. “In this case, we have shippers under pressure to deliver goods at a faster pace, all while keeping costs under control—an ideal formula to push innovation.” For example, Michel reported that AI is already working within the TMS domain to churn through transactional history, explore current pricing data from carriers,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.80
December 01, 2019
Robots made exclusively of hard materials prove their worth every day in industrial applications, excelling at repetitive, physically demanding and dangerous tasks that human counterparts cannot take on. Some robotics providers, however, want to steer the design and construction of these machines in a new direction. Driven by robotic use cases in healthcare and cooperative human assistance applications, designers have begun to develop less rigid, more mechanically compliant robots. This new class of machines is constructed of soft materials engineered to mimic properties of soft biological tissue, matching its compliance, elasticity and low density. These properties allow soft robots to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.66
November 11, 2019
Just a few years ago, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) were the new kid on the technology block. Only a few vendors were in this space, targeting large distribution centers focused on e-commerce, and one of these vendors (Kiva ) got bought up by the biggest e-commerce player of them all—Amazon. Today, dozens of vendors offer AMR solutions, and others offer piece-picking robotic arms. There are different AMR approaches, too. Some solutions follow a “goods-to-person” principle in which robots bring mobile shelf units filled with items to a workstations, while other AMRs meet up with human pickers in the aisles to…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.52
October 09, 2019
…in Spain’s grocery retail sector. Founded in 1977, the group has more than 1,600 stores across Spain and employs some 76,000 staff to serve 5 million Spanish households. For its new DC in Guadix, Granada, the company invested in robotic automation for the handling of its fresh produce, which has minimized handling times to maximize product freshness and shelf life. The new DC was designed to handle 6,000 stock keeping units (SKUs) and shift more than 3.5 million cubic feet of merchandise per month. The facility features zones for various product types: one for dry produce; two for refrigerated products…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.34
October 02, 2019
…allowing for a “beyond visual line of sight” (BVLOS) operation, also a first in the U.S. for regular revenue-generating delivery. Read: UPS Partners with Matternet to Transport Medical Samples via Drone across Hospital System UPS has proven the need for drone delivery in healthcare operations, where the shortest time in transit can improve efficiency and help healthcare professionals serve their patients better. Earlier this year, UPS partnered with drone-maker Matternet to launch its healthcare delivery service on the WakeMed campus. This first-ever revenue-generating service demonstrated the business case for drone delivery of medical products and specimens. With its Part 135…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.81
September 20, 2019
…orchestrate the vehicles, optimize their usage, and expedite yard operations. ZF’s electrically-driven Innovation Van, for example, combines an electric powertrain with advanced autonomous technologies, using a smart algorithm that factors in customer requests in real-time, while also calculating the most efficient delivery route. Gaining Steam In May, the U.S. Postal Service announced that it was testing self-driving trucks on a more than 1,000-mile mail run between Phoenix and Dallas, the post office’s first use of the technology for long hauls. The two-week pilot used big rigs supplied by autonomous trucking firm TuSimple to haul trailers on five round trips between…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.37
September 10, 2019
…as Kiva Systems. 6 River Systems offerings are in operations at more than 20 United States-, Canada-, and Europe-based facilities, where it fulfills millions of units per week for large shippers and logistics services partners, including Lockheed Martin, DHL, XPO Logistics, and Office Depot, among others. Shopify officials said 6 Rivers Systems is expected to generate $30 billion in annual billings in 2020. And they added that by bringing 6 Rivers Systems into the fold Shopify will gain a group of staffers with decades of fulfillment software and robotics experience, as well as 6 Rivers Systems’ cloud-based software and collaborative…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.52
September 01, 2019
…States, as well as the adoption of autonomous mobile robots (inVia Robotics, inviarobotics.com) as the fulfillment engine for its strategically located DCs. “Amazon has done a wonderful job of creating a need that didn’t exist before and convincing people they can’t wait for the product they just ordered,” says Mike Manzione, CEO of RSL, a provider of e-commerce order fulfillment and delivery services to small and mid-sized companies. While Manzione notes that less than 20% of the client base is asking for same- and next-day delivery now, “we can see where the market is going, and we’re anticipating where we…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.97
May 23, 2019
…them over $20 billion. But according to ARK Investing Group, Amazon could charge shoppers only $1 for drone delivery on packages under five pounds - welcomed savings on such otherwise high logistical costs. Consumers are willing to pay for faster deliveries, too. Last year, Amazon offered 1-day sooner shipping, and over two billion Prime members opted for this over the standard 2-day shipping option. This year, Amazon will spend $800M on free 1-day delivery for Prime customers. It seems that cheaper and speedier deliveries are a winning combination. Thinking Inside The Box: Drones In The Warehouse While full-fledged commercial drones…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.08
May 20, 2019
…Labor and staff typically constitute 40-60% of the warehouse operations cost, so changes in the employment cost index correlate tightly with warehouse rates and contractual price adjustments. Minimum wage increases are pushing up wages for all low skilled labor. California minimum wage will go up from $10 in 2017 to $15 in 2023 which translates to a nearly 7% annual increase. Proposed legislation in other states indicates that the minimum wage could approach $15 in the next 3-5 years. Demand for highly skilled labor is accelerating in warehouses and employee requirements have evolved as service levels, performance and efficiency become…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.32
May 15, 2019
As robots, automated equipment, artificial intelligence (AI) and other advanced technologies continue to make their way into the world’s warehouses and DCs, the number of companies using them is also proliferating. Driven by the need to manage high-velocity operations with limited labor resources while meeting the ever-changing needs of their customers, more companies are looking to automation to help them solve their most pressing fulfillment problems. Modern’s 2019 “Usage and Implementation of Warehouse and DC Automation Solutions” survey more than proves this point and paints a picture of a distribution landscape that’s ripe for innovation. Conducted by Peerless Research Group…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.75
May 13, 2019
…Parrott, MHI Titles: Chair and vice chair, The Robotics Group (TRG), MHI. Knott is the logistics solutions business manager for ABB. Parrott is vice president of the Robotics Center of Excellence for Dematic. Location: Charlotte, NC Modern: Robotics is often news today in warehousing and distribution. Yet, robots have been in manufacturing for decades. What has changed and why now? Knott: Robotics are showing up in the warehouse for many of the same reasons they were adopted in manufacturing. Lack of labor availability is becoming a strong driver as well as for reasons of worker safety, including ergonomic concerns and…
