While there were only one or two truck-unloading robots at MODEX 2022, there were at least four at ProMat 2023. They promised to relieve worker strain in different ways.
Pickle Robot’s public debut of its system included a KUKA arm, sensors, and a custom foam suction gripper that could pick a 60 lb. box from its face. Unlike some other demonstrations, it used full boxes.
The robot could advance on its own on the loading dock and into a trailer, explained Peter Blair, vice president of marketing and sales at Pickle Robot.
“All it needs is power and an Internet connection – no integration required,” he said. “It’s already working at a site in Las Vegas where temperatures reach 115 degrees [Fahrenheit] and where you don’t want people.”
While Pickle Robot’s system can pick one box at a time, the company is working on multipick and smaller systems, Blair said. It is also considering palletizing, he said.
Other noteworthy robots at ProMat included Boston Dynamics’ Stretch, which used suction cups; Mujin’s TruckBot, which pulled boxes from below; the aforementioned Pickle Robot, and Bastian Solutions’ ULTRA BLUE, which loads trailers.
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