Multiagent Orchestration Platforms to Direct Warehouse Robot Fleets, Predicts Gartner Research

“By 2026, over 50% of companies deploying intralogistics robots in the warehouse will have a multiagent orchestration platform,” predicted a recent Gartner Inc. report. Such intelligent middleware can integrate and orchestrate work among business applications, fleets of robots, and other automated agents like doors or elevators within a warehouse or distribution center, added GreyOrange.

Founded in 2012, GreyOrange said its GreyMatter hardware-agnostic orchestration platform responds to customer orders in real time, as well as proprietary and certified third-party software. The Roswell, Ga.-based company said it employees more than 800 people and has offices and partners across the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

Gartner finds orchestration in growing demand

“As a company’s fleet of robots grows, simple point-to-point API [application programming interface] integration will not be enough," said the Gartner report, "Predicts 2023: Supply Chain Technology." It was published by Dwight Klappich, Christian Titze, Tim Payne, Amber Salley, and Simon Tunstall.

"Companies will need an orchestration capability that can assign work to the right robots based on near-real-time information and the characteristics of the activity," said the research firm. "This will reduce the time, effort and cost to onboard new robots and will reduce support cost, ultimately making organizations more efficient because work will be assigned to the robot best-suited for the task."

"Consequently, these companies will need a platform that can help integrate with and orchestrate the work assigned to their heterogeneous fleet of robots,” it said.

Klappich cited a survey conducted with Peerless Research Group (a sibling organization to Robotics 24/7). It asked current robotics users whether they intended to expand their robot fleets, and 86% of respondents said they do.

In addition, 96% of current robot users said that they planned to expand their use of robotics to new use cases.

Click on image to enlarge. Source: Gartner Inc.

GreyMatter API offers users options

GreyMatter coordinates and assigns the activities of robots to maximize productivity, speed, accuracy, and safety in end-to-end inventory fulfillment operations, according to GreyOrange. It matches robot agents according to work needs -- including capacity and demand peaks -- for inventory orchestration, said the company.

GreyOrange recently announced an open API that enables any certified vendor’s robots to connect to GreyMatter. The company claimed this enables customers to choose the technology that best fits their warehouse environment.

Under the API, manufacturers can incorporate GreyMatter to orchestrate their autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and other execution agents at the customer’s site. It works with hardware from leading vendors such as HAI Robotics, Zebra Technologies (formerly Fetch Robotics), Mushiny Intelligence, Technica International, Vicarious, and Youi Robotics, and other participants in GreyOrange’s Certified Ranger Network (CRN) ecosystem.

“Research from this Gartner report mentions the growing trend towards multiagent orchestration,” said Samay Kohli, co-founder and CEO of GreyOrange. "Multiagent orchestration is a core part of GreyOrange’s value proposition, and our GreyMatter platform offers a unique solution by giving customers the freedom to choose the ‘best-of-breed’ fulfillment technology that fits their needs, no matter the vendor."

“At GreyOrange, we’ve been solving challenges for the world’s leading brands for more than a decade," he added. "Preparing for both upcoming obstacles and scaling needs keeps our customers agile and pivot-ready when circumstances change.”