Saddle Creek Logistics deploys Robust.AI’s Carter collaborative robots

Provider of AI-driven industrial automation Robust.AI announced a partnership with omnichannel supply chain company Saddle Creek Logistics Services.  

The partnership saw the deployment of Robust.AI’s flagship collaborative robotics (cobots) platform, Carter, in Saddle Creek’s Charlotte, N.C., warehouse.

Cobots help order fulfillment in beauty operations

Robust.AI’s Carter is a collaborative autonomous mobile robot (AMR) designed to augment existing warehouse operations and workforces. Carter’s software-defined functionality allows facilities to dynamically switch functions between fulfillment picking, point-to-point transport, or mobile sorting, and its drop-in automation capabilities help global manufacturing and logistics providers achieve significant productivity gains.

Robust.AI said that by automating repetitive, physical tasks and eliminating unnecessary walking, Carter boosts worker productivity while empowering them to focus on higher-value responsibilities, reducing friction on the floor, without compromising warehouse jobs.

“At Robust.AI, we build automation that works for people and not around them,” said Anthony Jules, CEO of Robust.AI. “Our partnership with Saddle Creek demonstrates how collaborative robotics can seamlessly integrate into real-world warehouse operations to deliver measurable improvements, quickly.”

Saddle Creek deployed Carter in its order fulfillment operation for a beauty client. The companies said Carter helps to automate and optimize tote delivery operations between multiple processing and labeling lines and more than 20 designated drop-off points.

In this capacity, the companies said that Carter functions as a flexible, non-integrated “virtual conveyor” that streamlines material flow without requiring fixed infrastructure. In addition, Robust.AI customized Carter for Saddle Creek, increasing payload capacity to allow for more items to be picked, put, and moved.

Since deploying Carter, Saddle Creek said it experienced several key improvements, including:

• Reduced walking time for manual tote deliveries, freeing workers for higher-value tasks
• Increased tote capacity per trip, driving faster throughput
• Enabled operator-directed robot actions, allowing human oversight when needed
• Balanced workloads between people and robots
• Reduced congestion for smoother, safer floor operations

“Order fulfillment demands speed, accuracy and agility at scale. Robust.AI’s ability to rapidly deliver customized solutions that automate operations without expensive infrastructure upgrades enables us to meet our clients’ evolving needs efficiently and cost-effectively,” said Harshil Aghera, senior director, technology and innovation at Saddle Creek Logistics Services. “As we expand Carter use cases, we look forward to unlocking a greater level of modularity and flexibility to drive value and performance for our clients.”