Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.39
March 12, 2020
In the spring of 2016, I drove to Devens, Mass., to see something truly new in the post-Kiva era: Autonomous mobile robots in a production setting at a Quiet Logistics e-fulfillment distribution center. Locus Robotics, the startup company founded by Bruce Welty and Mike Johnson, was still more concept than commercial product, but even then, Welty envisioned a multi-billion-dollar business for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) in the warehouse. A little over a year later, I had the opportunity to watch another first: a mobile piece-picking robot from IAM Robotics at work at Rochester Drug’s distribution center in New York. While…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.37
November 24, 2021
Even before this year's holiday rush, retailers and logistics providers were struggling with snarled supply chains, labor turnover, and ever-growing needs for actionable data and throughput. The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated e-commerce demand and heightened worker shortages, but maturing automation can help, according to inVia Robotics Inc. Westlake Village, Calif.-based inVia provides the Picker goods-to-person autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and the inVia Logic software for orchestrating tasks and the movement of goods. The company raised $30 million in Series C funding in July. 1. Robots aid rather than replace workers If robots handle repetitive tasks in quantity, that can free up…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.36
March 02, 2020
Fetch Robotics, a leader in cloud robotics and on-demand automation, today announced the immediate availability of Workflow Builder, the company’s new drag-and-drop development toolkit that allows shippers to implement flexible automation in existing manufacturing, distribution and fulfillment facilities without the time, expense, and inflexibility of fixed automation or traditional autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Based on Blockly, the language used to teach non-programmers to code, Workflow Builder provides a visual and intuitive tool that shippers can use to deploy flexible automation in days, iterate to perfect workflows, change workflows as needs evolve, and later integrate into WMSs (warehouse management systems), WESs…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.36
June 26, 2024
Toronto, Canada-based robotics sensor and edge AI provider Forcen recently announced it closed a $8.35 million Canadian dollars - or approximately $6.12 million United States dollars - funding round. The round was co-led by Brightspark Ventures and BDC Capital’s Deep Tech Venture Fund with participation by Garage Capital and MaRS IAF, and returning investors including EmergingVC. Forcen said it will use this investment to scale up prototype production facilities to support more customers and continue developing its force/torque sensing technology and edge AI. Founded in 2015, the company said it creates force/torque sensing components and edge AI software systems designed…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.35
December 19, 2018
Honeywell announced a strategic collaboration with Fetch Robotics to provide distribution centers with autonomous mobile robots to help them more effectively fulfill growing volumes of e-commerce orders. The initiative enables Honeywell Intelligrated’s customers to increase productivity and boost labor efficiency by deploying Fetch Robotics’ autonomous mobile robotics, which operate safely alongside people to transport items through distribution centers without human guidance or fixed paths. By adding this offering to its smart robotics portfolio, Honeywell Intelligrated can provide customers with a range of flexible automation solutions that can be tailored to address current and future operational needs. Honeywell Intelligrated previously announced…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.35
January 05, 2021
A report issued late last year by San Francisco-based real estate investment trust company Prologis examined some challenges the logistics real estate sector has been up against, in the form of a shortage of skilled labor and well-located logistics space. The report, entitled “Automation and Logistics Real Estate #2: How Automation Can Help Navigate Urgent Supply Chain Challenges,” is the second in a series issued by Prologis. The first report, “Automation and Logistics Real Estate #1: The State of Automation in Supply Chains,” was issued last November. In addition to the shortage of skilled labor and well-located logistics space, the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.35
October 26, 2021
Drone deliveries are starting to become more common, thanks to careful collaboration. Flytrex Inc. today announced the expansion of its drone delivery service to Holly Springs, N.C. The Fayetteville, N.C.-based provider said it has partnered with local authorities and restaurant chains to begin delivering food to front and back yards in the neighborhood of Forest Springs. Flytrex will bring orders to dozens of households in the area that have opted into the service. The company added that it will conduct all flights under Part 107, within visual line of sight, following the highest U.S. safety standards. “We are soaring into…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.34
March 22, 2022
As e-commerce accelerates demand for warehouse automation, robots need to become more perceptive and smarter. At its Spring 2022 GPU Technology Conference, or GTC, NVIDIA Corp. today announced the availability of its Jetson AGX Orin developer kit and its Isaac Nova Orin architecture for autonomous mobile robots. “Modern fulfillment centers are evolving into technical marvels — facilities operated by humans and robots working together,” said Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA. He said new processors, software, and simulation capabilities will lead to “the next wave of AI,” including robots able to “sense, plan, and act.” NVIDIA claimed its invention…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.34
August 15, 2023
Mobile robotics vendors face many of the same challenges as their customers in manufacturing, logistics, and e-commerce—supply chain strains, shortages of skilled labor, and less available capital. Locus Robotics Corp. has managed to thrive in these conditions, announcing today that Inc. Magazine has named it to the Inc. 5000 list for the third year in a row. The annual list recognizes the fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. and their achievements in business development and innovation. “We are incredibly proud and honored to again be recognized on the Inc. 5000 list,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics, in a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.34
August 04, 2022
Businesses of all sizes share common goals—minimizing the need for scarce manual labor and improving the accuracy and performance of supply chain operations. Numina Group Inc. this week said it has increased its workforce by 34% in the first half of 2022. The Woodridge, Ill.-based company deisgns automation and process-improvement systems to reduce warehouse labor costs and increase productivity and business profitability. With a 35-year track record as an independent systems integrator and software developer, Numina Group said it focuses on lean processes that optimize manufacturing and distribution operations. The company added that it can help them with picking, packing,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.33
November 17, 2022
Shoppers in China spent $132.6 billion with Alibaba and JD.com on Singles' Day, Nov. 11, according to ForwardX Robotics. In comparision, U.S. consumers spent a total of $19.6 billion across retailers on Black Friday and Cyber Monday in 2021, according to an Adobe report. ForwardX said it helped more than 100 warehouses meet e-commerce demand last week, with its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) picking over 15 million units. One warehouse using the company's AMRs shipped 6X its average orders on time. Founded in 2016, ForwardX claimed that it is “Asia's largest person-to-goods AMR” provider. The Beijing-based company has more than…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.33
December 30, 2021
Although the past year was full of challenges for businesses of all kinds, it provided opportunities for robotics users and providers. Plus One Robotics Inc. has not only weathered COVID-19 disruptions; it has also responded to fast-growing demand for smart automation. “The first half of 2021 was full of continued uncertainty on a global scale,” wrote Erik Nieves, co-founder and CEO of Plus One, in a blog post. “We had great people on board, the right technologies in development, and clients who were excited about what we were doing. But things were moving slowly in the face of this 'new…
