Editors’ Picks




Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.38
…to warehouse, as supply chain networks get denser. The third piece—we had struggled with the idea of general autonomy and weren't sure of the timeline. Gatik said, “We’re going to the middle mile with only constrained routes.” That narrowed the problem rather than “boiling the ocean,” giving them a shot at succeeding. Innovation Endeavors led Gatick's seed round and its Series A, which was in 2020, when the market wasn't very favorable to autonomous vehicle startups. There was already fatigue among investors. Is there anything special about the middle mile for autonomous vehicles? Singh: You can look at it as…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.91
…integrating its pick-and-place robots with Geekplus Technology Co.'s warehouse automation. The new allies said they will offer businesses a “one-stop solution” and a strategy to boost the return on investment of their autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, and automated storage and retrieval systems, or ASRS. “At OSARO, our goal is to provide reliable robotic systems that make automation easy, which is why the seamless integration of our picking robots with Geek+ systems is so valuable for quick and easy deployment,” said Derik Pridmore, CEO of OSARO, in a press release. “We’re pleased to have an OSARO-powered robot and Geek+ Sorting…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 8.47
Third Wave Automation, which provides high-reach autonomous forklifts, yesterday announced that it has received strategic investment from Qualcomm Ventures and Zebra Technologies. The Union City, Calif.-based company said the latest, unspecified funding brings its total financing to $70 million. Third Wave Automation (TWA) said the investment will enable it to accelerate innovation as its first product expands its select pilot program. It also plans to develop systems to automate other classes of forklifts, including narrow-aisle and counterbalance trucks. “With the strategic investment from Qualcomm Ventures and Zebra Technologies, we look forward to scaling production of our fork trucks, deploying them…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 2.98
…is expanding the capabilities of its Sure Sort warehouse automation to incorporate radio frequency identification, or RFID. The Moorestown, N.J.-based company said RFID capability will help meet client needs and increase operational speed and efficiency. “The expansion to RFID is just another example of how we live our values and principles to listen and be responsive to customers’ needs,” said Alex Stevens, president of OPEX Warehouse Automation. “It is another great tool in our growing portfolio of modular and flexible warehouse automation technology and solutions.” OPEX said it has provided innovative automation for warehouse, document, and mail applications for almost…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.67
…test its performance and capabilities. Featured Customers and Partners: Third Wave Automation will showcase its fully automated reach truck solution, the TWA Reach. Coupled with its Collaborative Autonomy Platform, TWA Reach can support 366”, high bay, pick & place in remote, remote assist or manual mode, all while working alongside warehouse teams. Flyability will showcase Elios 3, the world’s first collision-tolerant drone harnessing the power of computer vision and lidar to create rich 3D models and transform the world of inspection, mapping, and surveying. LASE will showcase a series of video demonstrations of its autonomy solutions on industrial and smart…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.72
More automation doesn’t necessarily mean better automation. That’s why a deployment with an impressive number of autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, in a mobile robot fleet isn’t necessarily more effective than one with just a handful. While it’s common for mobile robot deployments to start small and get bigger, success with AMRs takes more than growing the fleet. You need to consider how quickly and easily you can add more automation and people into a robotic-enabled workflow to handle spikes in demand, as well as software capabilities and the ability to integrate with other systems. Mobile robots come in various…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.05
…CEO of GreyOrange Inc. The Roswell, Ga.-based company provides automation for warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment facilities. Kohli recently spoke with Robotics 24/7 about how robots such as GreyOrange's Certified Ranger Robots (CRN) and software such as its GreyMatter fulfillment orchestration platform can meet growing and shifting market demand. Labor and automation While e-commerce demand accelerated earlier in the COVID-19 pandemic, has it subsided now, or is it still a strong driver for adopting automation? Kohli: It's still a driver. Automation helps hedge against labor shortages, growing demands on the warehouse, and the need for greater safety within the warehouse.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 1.07
…and truck yards to loading docks and last-mile logistics, automation efficiency is welcome at each link in the supply chain. Inflation, the aforementioned supply chain challenges, and a return to brick-and-mortar retail may slow investment in robotics. However, attendance at this year's trade shows and the move from pilots to full-fledged deployments suggest that more robots than ever will be in use during his year's holiday shopping season. MIT develops smarter robots to find things Walk into a physical store, and the product you want may not be on the shelf. You can ask a sales associate to “check in…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 4.29
…last week announced the recent approval of Schneider Electric, Third Wave Automation, and Daifuku Wynright's applications to join the MHI industry group. MHI, formerly the Material Handling Industry of America, is an international trade association that has represented the material handling, logistics, and supply chain industry since 1945. Its members include equipment and systems manufacturers, integrators, consultants, publishers, and third-party logistics providers (3PLs). MHI offers education, networking, and sourcing for its members, their customers, and the industry as a whole through programming and events. The Charlotte, N.C.-based association sponsors the ProMat and MODEX expos to showcase the products and services…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.39
…James Lawton, vice president and general manager of robotics automation at Zebra Technologies. And that’s true for companies as diverse as FedEx and iHerb. Both companies, and many others in between, have recently turned to piece-picking robotic systems to solve their fulfillment challenges. But we are to a great extent still in the early stages of robotic piece picking. After all, it was only January 2015 that Modern Materials Handling reported on what was probably one of the first robotic piece-picking pilots “The robots are coming – Part I.” So, a little guidance on best practices in the selection and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.37
…They are part of a rising trend in warehouse-industry automation. Companies are turning to robots to help them keep up with rising e-commerce demands, labor shortages, and to extend the life of their facilities. AMR sales on the rise Last month, Interact Analysis reported that more than 100,000 mobile robots were deployed globally last year, which it said is the first time that milestone has been met. “The current labor shortage, coupled with strong e-commerce growth, has accelerated manufacturing and logistics companies’ plans to automate,” wrote Ash Sharma, managing director at Interact Analysis and the author of the report. “This…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 0.44
…is trying to make the process of using warehouse automation simpler though its Southie App software. Jay M. Wong, head of software at Southie Autonomy, compared automation to personal computing. In the early days, computers were solely used for several specific tasks, and you had to be an expert to use one, he said. Over time, the barrier of entry became smaller and smaller, with software and hardware advancements geared toward accommodating everyday people. That’s what the team at Southie is trying to do for warehouse automation, Wong said. The company’s robots and software can automate palletizing, kitting, and package…