Ingram Micro investing $10 million in warehouse automation startup HDS Global

Computer technology provider Ingram Micro is to invest $10 million into warehouse automation startup HDS Global, according to a report on the Wall Street Journal. 

HDS is said to be developing “swarm” software which enables different robotic systems to work together in warehouses.

Ingram, which claims to be the world’s largest distributor of computer and technology products, handles online orders for large retailers such as Wal-Mart. 

HDS has previously received investment from companies such as Toyota, and is developing something called “RoboFS”, which it describes as a “software-defined fulfillment system”.

HDS says RoboFS “combines intelligent vision, and mobile and articulated robots into an integrated, turnkey and end-to-end solution that dramatically advances supply chain capabilities while significantly reducing labor and total fulfillment costs”.

In a previous statement, Louis Borders, founder and CEO of HDS, says: “Industrial automation is undergoing a major transition from mechanical to software-defined, and for good reason.

“According to our fulfillment scenarios, companies who integrate RoboFS should expect to see a reduction in costs of as much as 50 per cent.”