Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 11.54
…will need at some future time.” “We designed the FetchCore software for people who intimately understand their processes for fulfillment, sortation, and packaging,” he said. “The workflow builder is designed to be drag and drop, abstracting the code away so that people without a computer science background can do amazing things.” John Santagate, vice president of robotics at Körber Supply Chain, added: “A significant challenge is often scaling up and down to accommodate peak periods. With a goods-to-person (G2P) system, you can build it to support peak and operate at average needs until you need to scale it up for…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.97
…is Zebra Technologies' Fetch Robotics unit, which provides the FetchCore cloud-based WCS software that it said provides complete control of warehouse automation. The software can control a variety of robots, such as Freight1500 robots, which Zebra claimed is a workhorse that can safely transport large and heavy payloads autonomously throughout the warehouse. Warehouse execution systems Warehouse execution systems can combine the functionality of a WMS and a WCS. They can coordinate all aspects of warehouse operations, including inventory management, order fulfillment, and the movement of automated vehicles and materials. WESes promise to optimize the flow of goods through a warehouse,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.78
…each piece in production. The deployment also included Zebra’s FetchCore software, which directs the AMRs throughout the workflow to advance articles of clothing from one destination to the next. “One of the most important features of these AMRs is their ability to connect with our main computer system, iCreate,” says J. Kirby Best, CEO of BMC. “With autonomous navigation, the RollerTops can navigate pre-determined tracks, locate the appropriate workstation, and load and unload totes and bins.” This integrated intelligence empowers these robots with high-level decision-making capabilities. “The AMRs deploy pieces and products where they’re needed at the different sewing and…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.26
…workers who transported dunnage. Waytek employees can use the FetchCore software to manage the AMR fleet and assignments. They can operate the robots with tablets or mobile phones. Overall, the Zebra systems have enabled Waytek to meet its objectives. The distributor can further scale up throughput by adding robots, which have proven to be easy to deploy and operate, explained Larson. “Among all our technological implementations until now, Fetch was the easiest to deploy, and it took us only three days to become operational with their AMRs,” he said. “These AMRs are very easy to work with and rarely have…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 13.95
…follow the movement of each piece in production. The FetchCore software directs the robots to advance articles of clothing from one destination to the next, all the way to the packing and shipping stage for finished products. “Printing, cutting, and sewing custom apparel has to be accurate and fast.” Lawton said. “BMC's systems manage traffic, and FetchCore orchestrates which robot goes where to efficiently manage where or to whom materials go. It assigns an AMR to pick up a tote of sleeves, and then to another for adding a pocket.” Trimming data to suit In addition to providing more visibility,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 10.95
…AMRs,” he said. “They want flexible, fast deployment, and FetchCore is best in class. So much of the emphasis is on fulfillment, and we can deploy tens to thousands of robots in a single implementation.” “There is also some interest in case picking, and with 61,000 forklift accidents per year, on improving worker safety.” “It's a question of how to bring robotics capabilities that unburden the user,” he said. “You shoud simplify processes, engage the team, and remember that collaborative robots are more than just robot arms and legs. There's also robotics as a service [RaaS].” Zebra builds vision, automation…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 7.01
…Wheeler: Yes, fleet management of the robots is necessary. FetchCore, for example, provides this function along with others like facility mapping and basic workflow management. [Editor's note: Zebra Technologies acquired Fetch Robotics last year.] AMRs know their location in real-time and can be a source of granular task data. There is an emerging need for more robot-based data capture. Passive RFID, Bluetooth, and bar-code scanning are already being integrated into workflows. Is there any evidence of the use of automation leading to higher retention rates? Wheeler: According to the study, there was a direct correlation between the use of automation…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 12.33
…AMR models—FlexShelf, FlexShelf Guide, and RollerTop Guide—and a new FetchCore fulfillment software package for order or batch picking. The software uses a combination of software Fetch had developed for AMR fleet management and drag-and-drop configuration of AMR processes, according to Lawton. In addition, its optimization layer for managing both people and robots draws on capabilities from Zebra’s Fulfillment Edge software package. The Fetch Fulfillment Solution can better manage and coordinate human and robot resources to reduce wait times, allowing robots to do what they do best: direct workers through accurate picking and fulfillment activities in a relatively compact area of…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 32.18
…RollerTop Guide autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), along with the FetchCore software, are the first products released since the acquisition. Melonee Wise, founder and former CEO of Fetch Robotics and vice president of robotics automation at Zebra, replied to the following questions from Robotics 24/7 about the new offerings. Given that Zebra acquired Fetch in July, how long were these new products in the works? Wise: These products have been in development for a year, but a lot of the need-finding and investigation goes back a couple of years. Over the past couple of years, we have received increasing requests from…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 27.85
…FlexShelf Guide, and RollerTop Guide—as well as a new FetchCore software package for order or batch picking. The Lincolnshire, Ill.-based company said these new offerings extend its position as a leader in automating and digitizing critical workflows. Zebra serves industries including retail and e-commerce, transportation and logistics, and healthcare. It provides inventory, supply chain, and patient care technologies and has more than 10,000 partners across 100 countries. In July, Zebra announced that it would acquire autonomous mobile robot (AMR) and software provider Fetch Robotics Inc. for $290 million. Worker augmentation key to robot adoption According to Zebra’s Warehousing Vision Study,…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 17.96
…voice picking, or along with vision-based picking solutions. “With FetchCore and Workflow Builder, there's no need to for an integrator—most customers can take on everything else on their own,” Nusser asserted. “Körber WMS gets the orders for different pallets, minimizes the path for individual pallets, and provides workflow optimization.” “Then the instructions flow to FetchCore, which commissions the robots and sequences picking locations,” he added. “The AMR then waits for the picker to load the correct pieces, and voice guidance can tell workers to go to locations within the same aisles. Through a microphone, they can confirm and let the…
Found in Robotics News & Content, with a score of 9.92
…addition to its portfolio of AMRs, Fetch offers the FetchCore cloud-based software for deploying and integrating automated workflows. It said the system can provide unique insights into facilities through machine learning on AMR sensor data. “The Fetch Cloud Robotics Platform provides on-demand automation for materials handling and inventory management, with the ability to find, track, and move almost anything in any facility,” said the company. Fetch added that its Workflow Builder drag-and-drop workflow development studio is intended to allow customers and partners to deploy material handling automation in hours instead of months. Zebra to close Fetch acquisition in Q3 Zebra…