Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.85
September 10, 2022
…what sets its system apart from other pizza making robots is that its system was designed to let restaurants customize their ingredients choices so that their pizzas come out in their signature style. A partnership that has been baking The in-store demonstration phase began by installing a Picnic Pizza Station in the busy Domino’s Tiergarten store, training employees and maximizing system operations. Through daily check-ins and real-time online performance monitoring, both companies will assess the impact of assistive technology and the results of the trial. “Our mission is to deliver customers hot, fresh meals, safely, at an affordable price, and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.68
August 27, 2020
…to rebound and possibly spend more to automate their operations. This optimistic outlook depends on the health of companies emerging from the pandemic and the amount of capital spend available for projects.” Top 10 System Suppliers Daifuku is still No. 1 on the list, reporting more than $4 billion in revenues for 2019. Although the figure is slightly less than the previous year, it follows double-digit gains contributing to three-year growth of 37%. Stuart Oliphant from Daifuku’s corporate communications department: “While Daifuku is experiencing an increase in projects from the e-commerce sector and an increase in sales in line with…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.61
March 10, 2017
A 50-pound flying robot can be lethal. As drones swarm the U.S., regulators need convincing before they give Amazon, Google, and others permission for expanded use. Bloomberg Technology has a fascinating article titled “Crashing Drones Into Test Dummies for Safety” which clearly identifies how the small- and medium-sized drones flooding the U.S. market can seriously injure or even kill someone. Researchers at Virginia Tech - home to both a Federal Aviation Administration-designated test site for unmanned aircraft systems and a world-renowned injury biomechanics group - are developing methods to evaluate the risk posed by small unmanned aircraft to anyone on…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.60
May 05, 2022
…digital commerce cuts across every retail, manufacturing and distribution operation, and is putting pressure on all the major modes of transportation and the distribution center (DC) and fulfillment operations that keep supply chains fluid. To help keep pace, savvy logistics professionals are applying more supply chain management software and technology than ever to better manage the increasing complexity—especially now as the world continues to emerge from one of the most disruptive periods in a generation. To help us better understand where we are on this ongoing digitization journey, we’re joined by Bart De Muynck, VP analyst at Gartner; Howard Turner,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.54
October 14, 2022
…this week announced ways to help companies optimize their operations. It said its Unified Control System, or UCS, provides a single, vendor-neutral approach to configuring and managing multiple technologies. Körber's EVOLVE partner program allows for different levels of integrator engagement to widen supply chain offerings. While warehouses are increasingly adopting robotics, voice, and other systems, they still tend to operate separately from broader logistics networks, noted the company. Körber said its UCS can orchestrate different warehouse technologies throughout the facility, including mixed portfolios of material handling equipment (MHE). “Supply chain executives consistently name software, hardware, and technology integration as one…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.48
April 13, 2016
…FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC), where finalist teams enter industrial-sized robots they have designed, programmed and built in detailed, demanding contests against like-minded competitors. More than 80,000 high school students, ages 14-18, on more than 3,100 teams throughout the world participated in FRC events this year. As strategic alliance partners of FIRST, the International Society of Automation (ISA) and its umbrella organization, the Automation Federation, actively support FIRST’s educational programs and mission, and encourage more young people to pursue careers that fully utilize their STEM skills and interests. A select group of practicing automation professionals—volunteering on behalf of ISA—will be present…
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 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 6.82
July 09, 2021
…using robotics since General Motors installed its first pick-and-place robot on the line in 1961. That’s 60 years of robotics utilization. The materials handling industry is just now piloting, and in some case rolling out, piece-picking robots, typically in small pilots. Anecdotal reasons for the reluctance to embrace automation The cost and availability of labor: Manufacturers grappled with high wages, especially in unionized industries. For them, automation was easier to justify. Meanwhile, labor in distribution facilities was plentiful and comparatively cheap. Throwing more bodies at the problem was a viable solution. Land was available and inexpensive: When most distribution was…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.06
March 07, 2019
…to third-party logistics (3PL) providers for help. Peerless Research Group’s (PRG) annual survey, conducted in January of 2019, found that 32% of respondents were proceeding with investments given the state of the economy, down from a 42% response to the same question last year. That 32% level is more in line with the 35% for the “proceeding with investments” response in 2017 and above the 28% in 2016. 2019 Respondent Demographics Peerless Research Group’s (PRG) e-mail survey questionnaire was sent to readers of Logistics Management and Modern Materials Handling in December 2018 and January of 2019, yielding 246 qualified respondents.…
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 5.51
July 21, 2021
…for providing introductions, although this is the most well-rounded group I've ever seen. As Optimus Ride switches gears to full commercialization after years of focusing on R&D, having a nonpolitical advisory board means we can be completely honest about what we think about what's best for the company. That's invaluable for a CEO. Where do Optimus Ride's shuttles fit into the autonomous vehicle ecosystem? Harrington: Verizon's AV interest was in infrastructure, such as traffic lights and data moving from V2X [vehicle-to-everything communications]. I was introduced to Optimus Ride about a year before joining. I immediately gravitated to the idea of…
