Webinar: New Robots Emerge for Palletizing and Loading

In addition to the each-picking robots that received attention during the recent e-commerce boom, many automation providers have focused lately on the need to handle totes, boxes, cases, and pallets. From high-bay lift trucks and truck-unloading systems to heavy-duty mobile robots and automated pallet jacks, robots have specialized for these applications.

More affordable and capable collaborative robots, improving machine vision, and software to manage the movement of goods and workers are also contributing to new use cases. It’s still up to warehouse and factory operators and their technology partners to identify the best ways to automate the storage and transport of their products or components.

Date: Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023

Time: 2:00 p.m. ET/11:00 a.m. PT

Since there’s no “one size fits all” solution to these challenges, there’s a variety of robots and software that can help. In this free webcast, the participants will discuss:

• How the latest robot arms and mobile platforms address palletizing needs
• Choosing models for different levels of autonomy and safety
• How much does facility infrastructure need to change?
• How to get the best results with partners and workers
• The recent surge in development of robots for truck unloading

Registrants can submit questions now or during the live broadcast, which will be available on demand after the broadcast date.

About the speakers

Jason Walker
Vice president of market development, Locus Robotics
Co-founder, Waypoint Robotics

Before joining Locus Robotics, Walker co-founded Waypoint Robotics, which designs and manufactures easy-to-use, industrial-strength, omnidirectional autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Locus acquired Waypoint in 2021.

Prior to founding Waypoint, Walker co-founded CyPhy Works, where he served as lead roboticist and director of operations while working on contacts for DARPA, NIST, and the National Science Foundation. He helped grow CyPhy Works into a leading tethered drone supplier in North America.

Prior to CyPhy Works, Walker was the quality and testing manager for the Roomba vacuuming robot at iRobot. He received a BSEE with a concentration in robotics and control systems from Kansas State University.

Ruddick Lawrence
Co-founder and chief technology officer
Rapid Robotics

Ruddick has spent his entire career working in robotics, hardware, and manufacturing. Most recently he was vice president of engineering at Carbon Robotics, where he led the entire engineering team.

Prior to Carbon, Ruddick was in charge of the manufacturing software group for all new robotic end effectors for the da Vinci robot at Intuitive Surgical. The da Vinci robot is the most-used surgical robot in the world, capable of performing extremely precise medical procedures.

Ruddick's group wrote calibration and testing for over 30 instrument types, representing tens of thousands of shipped products. He has a Master’s from Stanford in mechanical engineering with a focus on mechatronics.

Moderator: Eugene Demaitre
Editorial director
Robotics 24/7, Peerless Media LLC

Demaitre is editorial director of Robotics 24/7. Prior to joining Peerless Media, he was a senior editor at other robotics publications. Demaitre has decades of experience in business-to-business, online technology coverage and has participated in numerous robotics-related webinars, podcasts, and conferences worldwide.

Contact Tom Cooney at [email protected] for sponsorship opportunities.