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Logistics

Starship robots to deliver lunch to 180,000 workers in Milton Keynes

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Robots made by Starship Technologies have expanded into central Milton Keynes, UK and are delivering lunch to 180,000 workers.

Customers in central Milton Keynes will have access to robot delivery for the first time from some of the town’s most popular brands, says the company.

Starship Technologies is celebrating two years of commercial operation in the UK, and the rollout of its robot delivery service in central Milton Keynes is part of its celebrations. [Read more…] about Starship robots to deliver lunch to 180,000 workers in Milton Keynes

DHL to install 1,000 new warehouse robots from Locus Robotics

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DHL Supply Chain is installing 1,000 warehouse robots from Locus Robotics. The world’s largest logistics company will integrate the Locus robots at 10 of its US facilities in 2020.

DHL and Locus Robotics have an ongoing working relationship, but the new initiative significantly expands this partnership.

The companies have signed an “Expanded Multi-Site Services Agreement” outlining the terms. [Read more…] about DHL to install 1,000 new warehouse robots from Locus Robotics

Global market for autonomous last-mile delivery solutions set to grow to $76 billion

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Last-mile delivery always tends to present a challenge for business ventures across all types of industries.

And, with autonomous solutions being more and more popular these days, industry players have started opting for driverless delivery vehicles, according to a report – Autonomous Last Mile Delivery Market – by Allied Market Research.

Replenishing gaps in the supply chain, these self-directed vehicles are now being perfectly utilized to hand over products to dealers, merchants, retailers, and even common people. [Read more…] about Global market for autonomous last-mile delivery solutions set to grow to $76 billion

Pallet Alliance expands IoT-enabled wooden pallet tracking capability

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Pallet Alliance, a developer of pallet management programs for multi-site manufacturing companies, has added the LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN connectivity protocol to its internet of things-enabled IntelliPallet platform.

Pallet Aliiance describes the protocol as “efficient, flexible, and economical”, and says its IntelliPallet platform is the industry’s first supply chain managed service to be integrated into wooden pallets.

The new capability is the result of Pallet Alliance’s collaboration with Semtech, a supplier of high performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, and Viaanix, an IoT integration firm. [Read more…] about Pallet Alliance expands IoT-enabled wooden pallet tracking capability

Robotic last-mile deliveries to generate almost $50 billion in revenue by 2030

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Robotic last-mile deliveries are forecast to generate almost $50 billion in revenue by 2030, according to a new report by Lux Research.

Automated parcel delivery technologies, such as small mobile delivery robots, are growing due to the rise in consumer demand for faster deliveries.

The rise in e-commerce is fueling rapid growth in parcel delivery volumes, a market expected to grow to $665 billion by 2030. Consumers are increasingly expecting parcels to be delivered quickly. [Read more…] about Robotic last-mile deliveries to generate almost $50 billion in revenue by 2030

Brain Corp and Dane Technologies partner to build autonomous delivery solutions

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Brain Corp, an artificial intelligence company specialising in robotics, and Dane Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of power assist solutions, have formed a technology partnership to manufacture autonomous material delivery robots for use in public and commercial applications.

Under the partnership, Dane Technologies will license BrainOS, a cloud-connected operating system for commercial autonomous robots, and begin building the delivery robots in Q2 2020. The two companies will pilot the robots with several major retailers this spring.

John Black, SVP of new product development for Brain Corp, says: “Dane Technologies has a successful track record of developing equipment for demanding retail and manufacturing environments, including the pioneering QuicKART shopping cart management system. [Read more…] about Brain Corp and Dane Technologies partner to build autonomous delivery solutions

Locomation and Wilson Logistics partner on autonomous truck relay convoy pilot

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Locomation has signed a definitive agreement establishing a multi-year partnership with Wilson Logistics to put Locomation’s autonomous technology on the road across several critical Wilson Logistics shipping routes.

Locomation claims to be the world’s first trucking technology platform to offer “human-guided autonomous convoying”. Wilson Logistics is a family-owned transportation logistics company based out of Springfield, Missouri.

During the three-year pilot, Locomation will employ its Autonomous Relay Convoy (ARC) technology on 11 separate Wilson Logistics ARC segments. [Read more…] about Locomation and Wilson Logistics partner on autonomous truck relay convoy pilot

Boston Dynamics partners with Otto Motors to co-ordinate mobile robots in the warehouse

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Boston Dynamics, a developer of mobile manipulation robots, and OTTO Motors, a maker of industrial autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), have unveiled what they describe as “a demo of the future of warehouse automation”.

In a video (see below), Boston Dynamics’s logistics robot, Handle, can be seen picking boxes and building pallets on top of OTTO AMRs in a distribution center testbed.

Last year, Boston Dynamics announced its efforts to add flexible, highly mobile automation technology to the warehouse with its Handle robot and Pick computer vision system. [Read more…] about Boston Dynamics partners with Otto Motors to co-ordinate mobile robots in the warehouse

RightHand Robotics continues global expansion with opening of sales office in Europe

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RightHand Robotics (RHR), a provider autonomous robotic picking solutions, is continuing its global expansion with the establishment of a sales and business development office in Frankfurt, Germany.

With multiple customers and partners based in Europe, RHR’s German operation will strengthen the company’s business and enable them to further expand their presence as the market grows and their customer base deepens in the region.

With broad experience in next-generation fulfillment solutions, Jon Schechter has been named to lead RHR’s German office, serving as head of Europe. Schechter spent 10 years designing robotic fulfillment centers for e-commerce and retail distribution as part of Kiva Systems and Amazon Robotics. [Read more…] about RightHand Robotics continues global expansion with opening of sales office in Europe

Vecna Robotics expands partnership with UniCarriers Americas on automated materials handling equipment

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Vecna Robotics, an automation provider in the materials handling space, has expanded its partnership with UniCarriers Americas, part of the Mitsubishi Logisnext family companies – the third largest forklift manufacturer in the world.

Through this partnership, UniCarriers will manufacture and promote their best-in-class pallet jacks running Vecna Robotics’ Pivotal automation software.

With UniCarriers’ manufacturing capabilities, this alliance enables Vecna Robotics to satisfy soaring demand for automation solutions amongst their customer base, including the largest retailers, third-party logistics (3PLs) and manufacturers in North America. [Read more…] about Vecna Robotics expands partnership with UniCarriers Americas on automated materials handling equipment