Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.16
…like the exponential increase in e-commerce sales and direct-to-consumer deliveries, are permanent, and automation can play a role. Distribution centers (DCs) are handling more items than ever, while having to do it accurately and with greater speed to meet increasingly high customer expectations. Once taken for granted, the DC is now a vital component of a company’s go-to-market strategy. “The last four or five years for supply chain leaders has felt a lot like the turn of the century did for IT leaders,” said Rob McKeel, CEO of Fortna. “Before Y2k, IT was a back-room function and didn’t have a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.16
…their standards. We're following the Apple-style approach of customer-end delivery. GreyOrange customers are already running sites with multiple robots. We're also a contributor to VDA 5050. Our intent is not to create a secret “black-box” solution—we're on the practical side. One part of our open API follows VDA 5050 and is not proprietary. If customers have a problem and need to buy a solution now, we're already running it and at scale. Packing and partners How much does GreyOrange work with packaging systems? Kohli: We're pretty tightly integrated with a number of packaging automation companies such as Packsize. We're always…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.14
…24/7. “However, trends like urbanization, increasing demand for same-day delivery, and a lack of labor will remain. The need to optimize every inch of space will continue to be a major driver of dense automation.” Founded in 1996, AutoStore claimed to be a pioneer in automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS). The company's products are distributed, designed, installed, and serviced by a partner network of qualified systems integrators. AutoStore said its system includes stacked bins arranged in a grid. Robots ride on rails along the top of the grid, retrieving bins as needed. The bins are then delivered to a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.14
…at how companies are collaborating to develop autonomous freight delivery. Einride touted its electric and autonomous Pods as not only contributing to the potential decarbonization of the logistics industry, but also as a way to give transportation providers more capacity. Thomas Olsen, founder of Einride, described the Stockholm-based company as a developer of cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) for autonomous systems. It is also developing “capacity as a service” or “CaaS.” For instance, Einride recently announced a partnership with A.P. Moller-Maersk, which is adding 300 connected electric trucks to its North American network. It claimed it is one of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.14
…medical facilities, on huge campuses, at airports, for last-mile deliveries and for other purposes and places. The demand for the autonomous shuttles is constantly high, so we are about to see ecosystems emerge and regulations change around the globe. New human-machine interfaces are expected to emerge as well. There are voice assistants on the market already, and they’ll become more sophisticated. The industry is experimenting with all kinds of displays, sensor panels, rearview mirrors, cameras [and] heads-up systems. The drivers and time will decide which of them become a future standard.” “Intelligent transportation networks are highly interconnected due to emerging…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.13
…providers (3PLs) are competing on faster fulfilment, last mile delivery and stock visibility. A key differentiator in this highly competitive environment is the ability to make quick decisions not only cope with but also capitalise on the rising volumes. Learning from the leaders: Catch Group's transformation One of the best examples of business transformation in Australia is Catch Group, one of the nation’s largest e-commerce marketplaces. In a move that saw it shake up its supply chain strategy, the leading retailer partnered with Körber to deploy more than 100 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at its distribution centre in Melbourne, Australia.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.12
…capital, and banks can't deal with soft costs like delivery, integration, and software, which can be 25% to 40%. Who are your typical customers? Sanborne: We try to identify decision makers at end-user customers. It's often the chief financial officer or someone in the treasury department who's trying to budget for automation. It can be people in procurement, supply chain, and direct spend, all the way to warehouse managers. First Financial generally serves bigger customers—$100 million in revenue and over—but we can deal with smaller customers with $5 million in revenue. Midsize and larger companies can benefit from robotics leases,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.10
…of hospital applications. These include infection control, biochemical specimen delivery, and general medical tasks. AMRs are also playing roles in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Part of the appeal of these robots lies in the fact that they are inexpensive and simple to implement. That said, AMR developers still have obstacles to overcome. “Typical challenges include extending the run time of battery-powered devices, robust designs that can contend with harsh environments, and accurate movement control—start/stop—for safe operation around humans,” said Julian DelCampo, business development manager at Portescap. To meet the requirements, mobile robots require motors to have more streamline…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.08
…vehicles and] AMRs in logistics and manufacturing to last-mile delivery and service robots, agriculture, and consumer applications.” “RGo’s early traction with global market leaders is a testament to the technology and leadership team,” said Tal Slobodkin, managing partner at StageOne. RGo's leadership team has experience from Intel RealSense, iRobot, Google, Samsung, and others. “As the use of robotics continues to exponentially grow across industries, RGo’s solution is a game-changer,” said Nilanjana Bhowmik, co-founder and general partner at Converge. “Manufacturers will be able to offer more intelligent mobile robots and accelerate time to market without having to focus their R&D teams…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.06
…robots being used around the public are less robust. “Delivery robots? Who do they fall under?” Prather asked. “When I bring that question up, some states' local departments of transportation say, 'Yeah, we should address them.' Some states are like, 'No, that should be done at the federal level.' Who is it?” Similar challenges arise with robots used in healthcare settings or restaurants. Franklin echoed Prather's sentiment. “Robots have begun to move out of where they have been for the past few decades, which was manufacturing,” she said. “Now, we're seeing them performing various services for people.” Franklin noted, however,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.06
…administration of essential operational infrastructure. By effectively managing the delivery of services and data with AMRs and AI, respectively, warehouse operators can improve their safety and productivity, said 634AI. Cogniteam and 634AI said the combination of their technologies is suitable for logistics applications where the role of robots varies. Nimbus helps expedite robot operations by supplying an ecosystem for development, deployment, and management with cloud connectivity. It melds well with MAESTRO, which is targeted at transforming industrial spaces, claimed the partners. The unified and modular offering allows customers to coordinate the operations of anything mobile, said Cogniteam and 634AI. This…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.04
…use cases, such as agriculture, construction, infrastructure inspection, or delivery services. This enables businesses to distinguish themselves and establish a strong reputation for expertise in a specific field. Partnerships and collaborations: Many of the leading players are forming strategic partnerships with other companies to capitalize on their respective strengths and create integrated solutions. For instance, Boeing established a partnership with defense startup Shield AI in March to incorporate AI and autonomous capabilities into existing and future defense equipment. Hivemind allows military drones and airplanes to execute room clearance, participate in aerial dogfighting, and penetrate air defense systems autonomously. Shield AI's…