Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.44
…service in retail. Online and offline retailers adopt AMRs Amazon.com Inc.'s Kiva robots have helped it speed the e-commerce order-fulfillment process from distribution centers to drop-off locations. Mobile robots also enable the company to fulfill orders with a remarkable degree of accuracy. Amazon Robotics is also working on other forms of automation. Amazon's purchase of Kiva Systems in 2012 helped create the AMR category because Kiva's robots were no longer available to other retailers and logistics providers. Other retailers, such as Walmart, Best Buy, and Shopify, have gained greater flexibility and visibility into their logistics operations with advanced software and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.43
…What are the end-user perspectives on automating warehouses and their automation preferences? The report also includes case studies on Amazon, including a look at how it automates at every stage of fulfillment; on Amazon Robotics (Kiva) and its use of warehouse robots; and on Canvas Technologies’ gameplan for enabling safe co-working spaces for humans and robots. Check out the report here.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.40
…Innovation said it will continue to operate under the Alert Innovation brand based in the Boston area. Walmart rival Amazon.com Inc. acquired Kiva Systems (now Amazon Robotics) for $775 million in 2012, encouraging the growth of mobile robot providers to serve the rest of the industry. Since Alert Innovation a leading provider of automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) for the grocery industry, it remains to be seen how its acquisition will affect the micro-fulfillment market. The global market for micro-fulfillment centers could be worth about $36 billion by 2030, according to Research and Markets.
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.38
…have slowed their ability to move forward. Companies including Amazon and Alphabet’s Project Wing have at times had to test their drone-delivery systems in other countries. Key dates after publication of Federal Register Notice (FRN) UAS Integration Pilot Program Resources Presidential Memo Presidential direction to establish a pilot program to enable public/private partnerships to test and evaluate the integration of civil and public UAS operations into the National Airspace System. Federal Register Notice The official public announcement of the program. Screening Information Request Step-by-step instructions on how to submit an application, including what kind of information you need to provide…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.24
Market leaders like Amazon are continuously evaluating throughput. The company’s fulfillment centers are extreme — workers are pressed to “make rate,” or meet productivity quotas, or they can lose their jobs if they don’t move fast enough. Amazon’s system tracks each operator’s productivity rate and automatically generates warnings without input from supervisors. Speed has become a critical component of success to every business, and it is imperative to shave time out of the production process to meet customers’ ballooning demand. Today, consumers use shipping speed as a major decision factor in their purchases. Such behaviors, fueled by companies like Amazon,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.22
…spaces around us, such as our homes and workplaces. Amazon Alexa is a great example of this—an on-demand AI assistant that exists in the cloud but that we can access with our voices to control the lighting in our homes, run our sprinklers, and lock our doors. This is the embodiment of our physical environment evolving due to enhancements provided by digital technologies. The natural language processing, machine learning models, speech synthesis, and all of the other complexity is performed in a digital system that sits beyond the walls of your home but is able to connect to that door…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.15
…“Working in the Automation Age,” featuring speakers from A3, Amazon, Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing (ARM) Institute, RAMTEC Ohio, and FANUC. In conjunction, A3 released a white paper exploring how companies like General Motors and Amazon continue to grow their workforce even as they add automation technologies. Automate 2017 also garnered increased international participation. For the first time, 13 Chinese automation companies exhibited, reflecting China’s dramatic growth in robotics implementation and development. A first-ever joint US-China Robotics Forum brought together leaders from the Robotic Industries Association (RIA) and its counterpart, the China Robot Industry Alliance (CRIA). A3 also announced Apellix as…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.11
…As reported by The Verge, Wing’s biggest drone-delivery rival Amazon has been testing “Prime Air” drone deliveries in the UK since 2016. Read: From Click to Customer Delivery in 13 minutes, Amazon’s Prime Air Drone Trial Begins However, neither Amazon nor Wing has yet conducted any large-scale tests in the US, due in part to the country’s stricter aviation rules. An attempt by Wing to deliver Starbucks in the US was wound down after a couple of months, while Amazon has been quiet since its delivery of sunscreen to a robotics conference in 2017. For drone delivery services to be…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.08
…to initiate a FedEx shipment by talking to your Amazon Echo or Google Home virtual assistant device. “FedEx is considering vehicles that could drive around neighborhoods and make deliveries without human drivers”Rob Carter, FedEx’s chief information officer Carter says that FedEx has created an AI-enabled Alexa app that would eventually understand commands like “Alexa, prepare a shipment.” “You [will be able to] just talk your way through and [Alexa will] ask the right questions to make sure you’ve completed the work and then you can expect a truck to roll up to the front door of your office, pick up…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.05
…robots, and refine their capabilities, said the company. New Amazon fund joins investors DCVC and Playground Global led Agility Robotics' Series B round. Previous investors, including MFV Partners, ITIC, Robotics Hub, Safar Partners, Sony Innovation Fund, and TDK Ventures, also participated. “We’re deepening our investment in Agility Robotics because their robots solve the labor shortages plaguing businesses and wreaking havoc on supply chains,” said Matt Ocko, co-managing partner of DCVC. “Agility’s robots are designed to free people from repetitive or unpleasant tasks, allowing them to take on the more fulfilling work they can do better than any robot.” “Agility is…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.01
…and retail distribution as part of Kiva Systems and Amazon Robotics. His experience with these companies includes the largest swarm deployment in the industry, comprising 1,700 robots and robotic elevators, for which he shares patents. “RightHand has been assessing market opportunities and meeting with prospects and potential partners in Europe for several years now,” stated Schechter. “Many European firms already manage their inventory using tote systems that are ready to automate with RightPick, our piece-picking solution. We are very excited to officially expand our operations to better support our current customers and partners there, and I welcome any additional prospects…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.99
…the report help shed light on the challenges facing Amazon's drone-delivery program, Amazon Prime Air. (Click here for full image.) Source: IDTechEx Drone regulations seen as a barrier IDTechEx said that regulation is one of the biggest hurdles for the drone market. In most countries or regions, there is no regulation specifically for autonomous delivery drones, found the research firm. For instance, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) require waivers from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to operate beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). This makes it “impossible” for the drone-delivery industry to grow because somone must always monitor flights…