Q: What’s new with robotics development and adoption in 2020?
A: Because autonomous robots are relatively new to the supply chain industry, the real story is about adoption. We’re experiencing an evolution of the idea of work. Environmental, technological, and economic forces are changing how work gets done and the new gig economy is changing who does it. Without question, the impact on the supply chain in terms of efficiency and productivity has been an overwhelming and optimistic addition for the robotics/automation industry.
Q: What is IAM working on right now?
A: With the success of our ability to bring reliability and consistency to the combination of navigation, perception, and manipulation, we are excited to be launching an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) into the marketplace later this year. Our collaborative AMR will address the market’s need for greater payloads in material handling.
Q: What else can we expect from IAM in 2020?
A: We’re working with A.S. Watson Group to deploy a fleet of Swift™ robots at its Benelux e-commerce fulfillment center in the Netherlands. We’re also opening a state-of-the-art headquarters and Showcase Innovation Center in Pittsburgh, where we’ll showcase our solutions and research.
Q: Will robots ever take over the workplace?
A: Not now and not in the foreseeable future. However, robots are playing an increasingly indispensable role in the supply chain to keep companies competitive, growing, and hiring. Robots can help increase productivity in distribution and fulfillment centers by automating mundane, repetitive tasks, freeing up human workers to focus on more advanced tasks.
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