Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.39
June 14, 2017
…after, especially when you have Amazon pushing the same-day delivery model, and everyone is chasing and trying to achieve that same panacea,” says Michael Howes, vice president of software and controls for Swisslog Warehouse and Distribution Solutions (WDS) Americas, which offers automated materials handling as well as software solutions. E-commerce means that DCs have a greater volume of small orders that make it more complex to orchestrate systems, not only within the four walls of the DC, but with order fulfillment and transportation management decisions. “Everyone is being pushed to ship smaller and faster,” says Joe Vernon, senior manager of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.85
June 09, 2017
…thrive over the next decade Partnership mindset | Last-mile delivery | Advanced data sciences Retail and CPG Industries Value Chain Source: “Shaping the Future of Retail for Consumer Industries,” Insight Report Shaping the Future of Retail for Consumer Industries Value framework for business models For the purposes of this research, a unique value-at-stake framework has been developed to support a consistent approach to measuring the impact of these business models on the industry (business impact) and consumers (consumer impact). This framework helps enterprises, policy-makers and regulators better understand the value that each business model in the retail sector can generate…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.19
June 08, 2017
…change or demand fluctuates through seasonality, you can update delivery points or routes in seconds.” While software helps with the flexibility of a robotics solution, Drexler advises that the navigation technology used also is essential for speed of set-up. The best systems, he adds, use multiple technologies to see and understand the layout of a facility, functioning much like a person’s eyes and brain would in learning how to navigate an unfamiliar building. Clearpath calls the technology its robots use to “learn” a new facility simultaneous localization and mapping, or SLAM, says Drexler. The resulting “spatial representation” the robots acquire…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.67
May 16, 2017
…not be ready for their anticipated role in last-mile delivery of consumer goods but are close to helping with less technically challenging tasks such as tracking warehouse inventories or managing trailer yard security. Wearable technologies like smart glasses will likewise find application in the warehouse, helping workers sort, pack and inventory items as well as identifying safety hazards or the shortest path to their next pick. Driverless vehicles have already been tested and approved in seven states and will substantially affect transportation costs once they can be caravanned or reach a port-to-port automation point. Considered the least viable in the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 3.75
May 15, 2017
…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 and town hall style education sessions. The smart city logistics and connected supply chain theme for this Solution Center was chosen based on the findings two leading supply chain trend reports—the 2017 MHI Annual Industry Report and the U.S. Roadmap for Material Handling & Logistics 2.0. “Industry 4.0, the Industrial Internet of Things and other digital supply chain solutions are leading-edge technologies that are disrupting traditional supply chains and creating more-efficient, next-generation models that are on-demand…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.49
May 05, 2017
…“final-mile” visibility with customers Routing and scheduling for final-mile delivery of goods, along with real-time insight into delivery progress, can help retailers save on fuel costs and fleet efficiencies, but the larger benefits might just be customer-service focused. That’s what Nebraska Furniture Mart (NFM) has discovered via implementation of final-mile routing software. NFM is an Omaha, Neb.-based retailer of furniture, appliances and a wide variety of other goods including electronics and fitness equipment and operates a total of four stores in four locations: Des Moines, Iowa; Omaha, Neb.; Kansas City, Kan.; and Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas. Each store is assigned a…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.90
April 26, 2017
…be easy.” Related: Is Amazon Creating Self-Driving Cars for Delivery? Related White Papers The Future Isn’t What It Used To Be According to predictions made a few decades ago, current travel should involve self-driving automobiles, jetpacks and flying cars, with space transport a common occurrence. Download Now! Parcel Delivery: The Future of Last Mile Currently subject to significant disruption, last-mile delivery, especially of parcels, is getting a great deal of attention in the media and from investors, and rightfully so. Download Now! Drone Technology: Clarity from Above According PwC's study on the commercial applications of drone technology, the emerging global…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.24
April 24, 2017
…play a broader role in the future of last-mile delivery, enabling easier package drop-offs, experts say. Amazon was awarded a patent for a network that manages a very specific aspect of the self-driving experience: How autonomous cars navigate reversible lanes. According to Fortune magazine, Amazon's ambitions, however, may not be to actually build these cars. Instead, the e-commerce giant has a team of around a dozen employees thinking of ways to potentially use the nascent technology to expand its own retail and logistics operations. Read: Fighting Amazon’s Supply Chain Takeover Operating fleets of driverless trucks to ship items bought from…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.99
April 24, 2017
…with space transport a common occurrence. Download Now! Parcel Delivery: The Future of Last Mile Currently subject to significant disruption, last-mile delivery, especially of parcels, is getting a great deal of attention in the media and from investors, and rightfully so. Download Now! Drone Technology: Clarity from Above According PwC's study on the commercial applications of drone technology, the emerging global market for business services using drones is valued at over $127 billion. Download Now! Fast-Forwarding to a Future of On-Demand Urban Air Transportation This white paper delves into these challenges for achieving a successful VTOL transportation market, with an…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 5.92
April 06, 2017
…tractor-trailer truck drivers who focus on long-haul journeys to delivery truck drivers who carry lighter loads and navigate local streets. Read APICS Blog: Truck Drivers (Still) Wanted Not surprisingly, many of these drivers are not simply sitting behind the wheel all day on auto drive. They also inspect their freight loads, fix equipment, make deliveries, and perform other non-routinized tasks. Standardized data verify this non-routinized conception of truck-driving. The Department of Labor’s O*NET database shows how truck drivers have a lower “degree of automation” compared to most occupations nationally. On a scale of 0 (not at all automated) to 100…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.88
March 23, 2017
…as Alibaba and Amazon. Download Now! Precise Cross-Belt Sortation: Unlocking Efficient E-Commerce Distribution In the burgeoning e-commerce market, speedy delivery and diverse offerings are customer expectations, and the ability to deliver these via a seamless customer experience will increasingly separate leaders from laggards. Download Now! Five Ways to Optimize Your Distribution Center For E-Commerce Fulfillment Today’s challenge has now become how to manage fast-moving inventory with enough precision to meet the expectations for prompt shipment of multiple small orders. Download Now!
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.69
March 12, 2017
…Starsky Robotics has a solution to on- and off-highway deliveries by self-driving trucks, including the “last mile” issue for how a driverless vehicle will deliver cargo at its final destination. In an interview, Starsky founder and Chief Executive Stefan Seltz-Axmacher said the company's goal is to employ robotics, sensors and software to “make trucks completely driverless.” The trucking industry is keenly following efforts to automate various aspects of big trucks, in part to address highway safety concerns as well as the growing shortage of skilled drivers. As with self-driving cars, federal and state regulators have not finalized new rules covering…
