Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.40
FedEx Express yesterday announced the launched of the DoraSorter robot in collaboration with Dorabot Inc. The company said the artificial intelligence-powered sorting robot represents its latest push to digitize its operations and build a smart logistics network to handle growing volumes of e-commerce shipments in Asia. “With e-commerce taking center stage in the future of retail in our region, the speed with which a parcel can be picked up and delivered to customers’ doorsteps has become a dominant factor in driving the adoption of sorting robots,” said Kawal Preet, president of the Asia Pacific, Middle East, and Africa (AMEA) region…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 18.10
…it absolutely, positively has to be there overnight, your FedEx package might someday be delivered by a robot. Rob Carter, FedEx’s chief information officer, says the shipping giant is considering small vehicles that could drive around neighborhoods and make deliveries without human drivers. Carter is responsible for setting the technology agenda across FedEx’s various operating companies, including its planes-and-trucks Express shipping service and office-and-home Ground delivery service, which operate in 220 countries. He recently told MIT Technology Review about some of FedEx’s emerging technology initiatives in artificial intelligence and robotics. The investments FedEx makes in these technologies could shape the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 17.42
FedEx SameDay Bot With the FedEx SameDay Bot, retailers will be able to accept orders from nearby customers and deliver them by bot directly to customers’ homes or businesses the same day. FedEx is collaborating with companies such as AutoZone, Lowe’s, Pizza Hut, Target, Walgreens and Walmart to help assess retailers’ autonomous same-day and last-mile delivery needs. On average, more than 60 percent of merchants’ customers live within three miles of a store location, demonstrating the opportunity for on-demand, hyper-local delivery services. “The FedEx SameDay Bot is an innovation designed to change the face of local delivery and help retailers…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 17.29
…to announce that Aaron Prather, senior technical adviser at FedEx Express, will deliver the keynote address at the Robot Applications Conference 2022, or RAC ’22. The virtual event, which is presented by Robotics 24/7, will be on Wednesday, Oct. 5, 2022. It is designed to share end users’ perspectives on how to best apply automation. Prather has worked at FedEx since 1995. He has unloaded trucks, managed scanners in the company’s Memphis hub, and developed and deployed IT systems for courier operations. Prather is also a noted technology evangelist who has spoken at numerous robotics events nationwide. “My team’s morning…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 16.68
…internal fulfillment/logistics network, particularly as network partners (e.g., UPS, FedEx) are unable to accommodate Amazon’s rapid growth,” he wrote. “Over time, we continue to believe the natural step for Amazon is controlling more of its own transportation and logistics, including additional air cargo and other transportation/operations, as these are almost a necessity to continue the rapid expansion of Prime and Prime Now.” Sebastian also noted that Amazon spent around $11.5 billion on shipping in 2015, and explained that his firm estimates a $400 billion-plus market opportunity for Amazon in delivery, freight forwarding, and contract logistics. All of this serves as…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.83
…safe environment for all of our participants,” he said. FedEx to provide a peek at facilities Memphis-based FedEx Corp. has been named the official title sponsor of the conference. The transportation and technology leader is planning to provide select conference attendees with a behind-the-scenes look at some of its local innovation and operations facilities. FedEx has worked with multiple robotics vendors to develop logistics applications and interoperability standards. “FedEx was built on innovation, and it continues to be an integral part of our culture and business strategy,” said Rebecca Yeung, vice president of advanced technology and innovation at FedEx. “We…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.82
Last week, FedEx Express, in collaboration with Future Mobility Campus Ireland (FCMI) Air, announced completion of its first scheduled last-mile aerial drone delivery in Ireland. The delivery marked the launch of a trial service delivering goods from FMCI based at Shannon Airport in County Clare, to Foynes Port in County Limerick, Ireland’s second-largest port operator and largest bulk port company. FedEx said the delivery demonstrates the benefits of drones for last-mile service and its commitment to exploring the latest innovations. “We are always looking for new and innovative ways to deliver the world to our customers’ doorsteps,” said Mike Roche,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 15.31
…Dexterity Inc. yesterday announced that it is collaborating with FedEx Corp. to apply artificial intelligence and robotics to the loading of boxes into trucks and trailers. “Our culture of innovation is driven by a desire to help our team members and customers succeed,” stated Rebecca Yeung, corporate vice president of operations science and advanced technologies at FedEx, in a release. “Based on feedback from our operations team, we have been looking for a solution that helps alleviate the challenges of truck loading,” she said. “Collaborating with Dexterity AI to combine the latest in AI and robotics supports our operations team…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 14.24
…on Amazon’s own marketplace. No doubt executives at companies FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and UPS (NYSE: UPS) are no doubt waking up to frantic phone calls about what their industry might look like in five years. Read: Amazon's Delivery Dream Is a Nightmare for FedEx and UPS Shipping with Amazon is not a new project for the company. For years, the e-commerce giant has been building out its delivery infrastructure, expanding into ocean freight, leasing its own cargo planes, finding ways to deliver packages inside your house with Amazon Key, and even planning for the future with its drone delivery initiatives.…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 13.44
…is in the fight right now. Companies like UPS, FedEx and DHL hired more than 200,000 workers in North America in 2020, and that trend will likely continue in 2021. These and other high-profile hiring announcements come right at a time when constrained labor availability, concerns over COVID-19 exposure, and social distancing requirements are impacting fulfillment operations nationwide. To further exacerbate this dilemma, customer expectations around delivery time have drastically increased over the last few years. With Amazon as the number-one online retailer offering free one-day shipping–and, most recently, two-hour shipping–consumers expect their packages to arrive immediately and free of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.65
…around interoperability have been theoretical—until now. Yesterday at the FedEx DART research and development center here, Vecna Robotics, Waypoint Robotics, and WiBotic successfully demonstrated MassRobotics' new standard for communications. The demonstration was part of the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) and Logistics Conference held by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). While several organizations have recognized the need for interoperability among AMRs, yesterday's demonstration was the first time real-world systems used a common interface to report their locations. “This is the very first level of capability,” said Daniel Theobald, founder and chief innovation officer of Vecna Robotics. He is also co-founder…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.20
…a wall does spill over 45 years later. When FedEx first partnered with California-based Dexterity to develop a mobile truck loading robot in 2021, there was room for growth, improvement and evolution. Truck unloading is a tedious, physically-demanding and cumbersome task. Hence, the need for automation was apparent. But how do you go about automating a process with a high degree of variability? It doesn’t happen overnight. Multiple revolutions and degrees As Dexterity engineers worked with their FedEx counterparts, there was plenty of room to evolve the robot. Mainly, the robot had to reach all four corners of the truck…