Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 24.55
This month in Modern we offer the third in a series of three System Reports that examine the emergence of robotics in warehousing and distribution. Back in March, we featured a robotic layer-picking solution that L’Oreal is using to build mixed SKU pallets at its facility in Kentucky. Last month we went inside the operations of VSP, a high-volume optics lab, to see how it’s putting piece-picking robots to work in conjunction with automated storage to handle lenses and frames. This month, executive editor Bob Trebilcock visits Quiet Logistics, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider of e-fulfillment services for premium fashion…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 24.21
CHICAGO—At ProMat 2023 here last week, Plus One Robotics Inc. demonstrated its parcel-handling robots for warehouses, as well as an opportunity for attendees to “race the robot” in a pick-and-place process in virtual reality. The materials handling conference came after an eventful time for technology startups like Plus One, with layoffs and the failure of Silicon Valley Bank. Robotics 24/7 sat down with Erik Nieves, the founder and CEO of Plus One Robotics, to discuss his observations about ProMat and how the San Antonio, Texas-based company has weathered recent economic challenges. Plus One Robotics at ProMat How have ProMat attendees…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.41
The working population of Japan will decrease by 30% in the next 30 years, according to Japan's National Institute of Population and Social Security Research. The country's rapidly aging population is causing a shortage of labor in the security space, among others. SEQSENSE aims to solve this challenge by providing security services with autonomous robots. The Tokyo-based startup has developed the SQ-2 intelligent security robot. It can navigate inside buildings with a pre-created map of each floor. The mobile robot can also communicate with elevators to patrol multiple floors. Using autonomous robots for security offers several advantages. For example, surveillance…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.15
Collaborative Robotics today announced that it has raised $30 million in Series A funding. The San Francisco startup said it will use the funds to begin scaling early field deployments and manufacturing its novel cobots. “Our vision for a future where robots seamlessly integrate into our surroundings to enhance operational efficiency and human potential is now closer than ever,” stated Brad Porter, founder and CEO of Collaborative Robotics, in a release. “This funding will accelerate our mission to bring the world's first truly practical cobots to market.” Porter, a former vice president at Amazon Robotics, founded Collaborative Robotics in 2022…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 23.13
Amazon Robotic Fulfillment Center, North Haven, Connecticut Opened: June 2019 (watch video) Size: 855,000 square feet Dock Doors: 62 SKUs: 1 million + Throughput: 1 million + orders per day during peak Shifts: 2 10-hour shifts per day, with downtime for maintenance between shifts Employees: 2,500 full-time associates, each working 4 shifts per week Primary Material Handling Equipment: Goods-to-person picking on a four-level pick module enabled by Amazon Robotics; ten miles of conveyor and sortation; cubing and weighing, automatic labeling, spiral conveyors and trailer-loading conveyor Area of Coverage: The facility’s primary role is the fulfillment of Prime orders in southern…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 22.83
Retailers lose $45B worth of inventory every year due to misplaced packages, stolen merchandise, and returned goods. In 2013, Walmart lost up to $3B due to discrepancies between inventory records and actual stock, according to Forbes. Now drone-based package-tracking tech could finally help solve this problem. Read: Walmart Testing Warehouse Drones to Catalog and Manage Inventory New research from MIT proposes lightweight drones that can help track and manage inventory in large-scale environments by allowing passive, long-range radio frequency identification (RFID) scanning. RFID tags have long provided a potential solution to the problem of effective package tracking through digital cataloging.…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 22.42
The current challenge as holidays near Supply chain experts have been raising alarms for the 2021 holiday season for months. Shoppers have been told as early as mid-September to start buying well before November, thanks to supply chain woes and uncertainty around the delta variant. According to economist John Rutledge, we have quite some time before we are out of the woods. The toll the COVID-19 pandemic is taking on our supply chains will only continue to inflict pain on our global supply chain and contribute to the current logjam well into 2023. As more variants spread, major ports will…
Found in Robotics White Papers & Archives, with a score of 22.41
As more robotic features find their way into organizations, the interactions between humans and robots remains a critical focus area. Robot arms and their associated software platforms can help companies optimize processes when they implement robots that collaborate with their human counterparts. How organizations manage this partnership is integral to forging a relationship between humans and machines for optimizing process workflow. Cobots have opened the door for a more dynamic relationship between human staff and robots in shared environments. As organizations attempt to optimize their operations with the right balance of staff and automation, it raises questions about the ideal…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 22.33
At Amazon.com Inc.'s re:MARS event this week, MassRobotics announced that the second Amazon Web Services Robotics Startup Accelerator is open for applications for its second cohort. MassRobotics and AWS said they are working to help robotics startups experiment and innovate while connecting with AWS customers. “At AWS, we are dedicated to investing in the future of robotics and providing world-class services to help companies build, deploy, and manage robots,” stated Michael MacKenzie, general manager for the industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and robotics at Amazon Web Services. “We're thrilled to have had such a global and diverse cohort for our…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 21.45
As reported by Bloomberg, an offshoot of Alphabet Inc.’s Google has become the first drone operator to receive government approval as an airline, an important step that gives it the legal authority to begin dropping products to actual customers. The subsidiary, Wing Aviation LLC, now has the same certifications that smaller airlines receive from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and the Department of Transportation. It plans to begin routine deliveries of small consumer items in two rural communities in Virginia within months, the company said. From Bloomberg: Google Spinoff’s Drone Delivery Business First to Get FAA Approval Recode reports that…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 21.43
A friend of mine is having a dickens of a time selling her home in Columbus, Ohio. It’s in a great neighborhood with one of the best school systems in the area. And, at over 4,000 square feet with a nice big yard it’s the kind of house people my age aspired to. What’s not to like? Apparently, it’s the size. The realtors have told her that the houses selling right now are smaller because today’s buyer doesn’t want to take care of all that property. Sometimes, it pays to think small. Something similar might be happening in the warehouse…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 21.22
Businesses are continually searching for new ways to maximize efficiency, optimize operations, and get high returns on investment. The adoption of automation is growing across industries as multiple technologies, such as sensors and artificial intelligence, improve. Self-optimizing machinery can enhance operational productivity and efficiency. To date, manufacturers used industrial robots to minimize human error in repetitive production activities. However, an array of business verticals has started deploying mobile robots because of their wide applications and benefits. By 2027, the global market for mobile robots could reach $117.89 billion with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.6%, according to a…