Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.71
July 31, 2017
A new IDTechEx Research report explores mobile robotics in materials handling and logistics, which is predicted to become a $75 billion market by 2027 before doubling by 2038. These are among the findings of Mobile Robots & Drones in Material Handling & Logistics 2017-2037, which includes automated guided vehicles and carts (AGVs and AGCs); autonomous mobile vehicles and carts/units; mobile picking robots; last mile delivery ground robots (droids) and drones; and autonomous trucks and light delivery vans (level 4 and level 5 automation). Khasha Ghaffarzadeh, research director at IDTechEx and the report’s author, said the figures “mask turbulent transformative change…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 6.28
June 20, 2017
It's an interesting time for those making decisions about warehouse technology. Automated systems have emerged that can dramatically improve productivity, efficiency and space utilization. But, you’re likely also seeing a lot of news about how Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things will enable smarter, more adaptive warehouses in the future. Will today’s investments be made obsolete by future developments? The reality is there’s always something new coming and it’s necessary for each organization to weigh the risks of waiting against the risk of adopting technology too early. In the case of warehouse automation, the technology has matured significantly in…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.75
June 14, 2017
The familiar technology stack of warehouse management systems (WMS) to manage transactions and inventory at the distribution center level and then hand order requirements down to the automation layer is not as simple as it used to be. With the complexities of e-commerce fulfillment, the need to orchestrate and optimize operations is driving the need for advanced execution software in the middle of the stack and for more optimization tools. In short, the DC tech stack has changed. It’s no longer just WMS on top, warehouse control system (WCS) software in the middle, and automated materials handling systems at the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.63
June 08, 2017
It’s time to begin automating your warehouse to keep pace with business. Either through growth in e-commerce or a restructuring of the distribution center network, many warehouses that used to do fine with mostly manual methods need automation to adapt to new requirements. That decision process for automation used to center on an analysis of historical demand patterns. But what happens when e-commerce sends assumptions around order mix and volume out the window? The answer, say providers of warehouse automation, is that the reasons why you automate begin to change. It’s less about raw efficiency in processing large batches of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.41
May 15, 2017
MHI has announced a new Solution Center will be introduced at Modex 2018 for smart city logistics and connected supply chain solutions. This Solution Center will be located in the C Hall adjacent to the collocated Transportation & Logistics Americas show. For the first time, Modex will have exhibits in both the B and C Hall of the Georgia World Congress Center. The Modex show floor in the B Hall will be divided into solution-specific centers: Equipment and components for manufacturing/assembly logistics solutions, fulfillment and delivery solutions, and information technology (IT) solutions. The C Hall expansion area will feature exhibits…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.38
April 25, 2017
The rapid growth of e-commerce and rising consumer expectations are prompting retailers to adjust their order fulfillment strategies to keep up with these demands. Luckily, several enabling technologies are coming of age which allow retailers to respond accordingly. Here's a quick overview of the most effective strategies and solutions currently available, which can be combined and integrated in multiple ways to meet any fulfillment operation's unique needs. Enhance Picking Productivity Many DCs have already made the shift to paperless picking solutions, which increase productivity by up to 50%. Depending on your business needs, productivity can be enhanced with one or…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.12
April 24, 2017
It appears nearly every tech and auto giant are now evaluating autonomous vehicle technology. Google-owner Alphabet recently spun out its self-driving car unit, Waymo, into its own subsidiary. Apple was just granted a license in California to test autonomous vehicles. Ford and General Motors are also doubling down on creating autonomous vehicles. Now Amazon could be eyeing driverless car technology as a way to get items to people's doors faster, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. “Amazon.com Inc. has created a team focused on driverless-vehicle technology to help navigate the retail giant’s role in the shake-up…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.17
April 19, 2017
Amazon was awarded a patent yesterday for an on-demand manufacturing system designed to quickly produce clothing - and other products - only after a customer order is placed. The computerized system would include textile printers, cutters and an assembly line, as well as cameras designed to snap images of garments that would provide feedback on alterations needed in subsequent items. In order to increase efficiency, the goods would be manufactured in batches based on factors such as the customer shipping address, the patent says. Once various textile products are printed, cut and assembled according to the orders, they can be…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.60
April 17, 2017
Recent developments in robotics, artificial intelligence, and machine learning have put us on the cusp of a new automation age. Robots and computers can not only perform a range of routine physical work activities better and more cheaply than humans. But they are also increasingly capable of accomplishing activities that include cognitive capabilities once considered too difficult to automate successfully, such as making tacit judgments, sensing emotion, or even driving. Automation will change the daily work activities of everyone, from miners and landscapers to commercial bankers, fashion designers, welders, and CEOs. But how quickly will these automation technologies become a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.68
April 13, 2017
Clockspeed. If you’re not familiar with the term, it was coined by Charles Fine, an MIT professor, to define rapidly evolving industries – those with a fast clock speed that he likened to fruit flies that are born, mature and expire in a very short time. He argued that “in business today, all advantage is temporary. In order to survive-let alone thrive-companies must be able to anticipate and adapt to change, or face rapid, brutal extinction.“ Based on my week at Promat in Chicago, I’d argue that the clockspeed of our industry has been accelerating in an unprecedented fashion over…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.87
April 10, 2017
Automation and robotics is already changing the US workplace, and by 2027, we could be looking at dramatically different numbers each month when the Bureau of Labor Statistics releases its non-farm payroll data. Forrester predicts 10 million jobs will be lost as a direct result of the robotic revolution. While the shift will come with a new wave of hiring (it estimates 15 million), automation and robotics will eliminate 25 million. Put another way: one new job will be created for every 15 lost. So how might the NFP jobs report look years from now? Take the number of retail…
Found in Robotics Companies & Businesses, with a score of 18.17
April 06, 2017
Leveraging years of direct warehouse operations experience and deep firsthand knowledge of warehouse robotics, Locus Robotics Corporation has engineered a new approach to mission critical fulfillment operations. The Locus solution delivers greater throughput, reduced costs and unparalleled flexibility in moving inventory and orders through a fulfillment center. The efficiency and flexibility in turn allow operators to keep up with the increasingly complex demands of channel partners and consumers.
