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FedEx invests in robotic fulfillment company Nimble

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FedEx, one of the world’s largest logistics companies, has agreed a strategic alliance and investment with Nimble, an AI robotics and autonomous e-commerce fulfillment technology company.

The agreement will enable FedEx Fulfillment to scale with their fully autonomous 3PL model. To support this alliance, FedEx has made a strategic investment in Nimble.

FedEx offers a comprehensive approach to help e-commerce and omnichannel brands make faster, smarter decisions about their supply chain. [Read more…] about FedEx invests in robotic fulfillment company Nimble

FedEx opens new automated sorting facility at Memphis World Hub

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FedEx has unveiled a new, state-of-the-art, automated sorting facility at the Memphis World Hub.

The LEED Certified building, which is now fully operational ahead of the holiday peak season, spans 1.3 million square feet across four levels, includes 11 miles of conveyor belt, has a space dedicated to moving bulky, non-conveyable shipments, and can sort 56,000 packages per hour.

The facility alone can process more than half the volume from the primary sort, which enables quicker sort times and the ability to transport customer packages to their final delivery destination faster. [Read more…] about FedEx opens new automated sorting facility at Memphis World Hub

Nauto and Beans.ai partner to optimize last-mile delivery solutions

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Nauto is partnering with Beans.ai have formed a strategic partnership to offer a “comprehensive solution” tailored to the unique needs of commercial fleets engaged in the last mile delivery.

Nauto is a developer of AI-powered safety and operations for commercial vehicles and an approved Video Event Data Recorder (VEDR) solution provider for FedEx service providers.

Beans.ai is a technology firm specializing in AI-powered routing and dispatch solutions to optimize last-mile operations. [Read more…] about Nauto and Beans.ai partner to optimize last-mile delivery solutions

Dexterity AI and FedEx unveil ‘first-of-its-kind’ robotics trailer loading technology

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Dexterity AI has agreed a collaboration with FedEx to leverage AI-powered robotic technology to load boxes into trucks and trailers.

Truck loading has long been considered one of the most challenging tasks in parcel hubs. Manual loading is taxing and previous technology approaches have not been able to handle the complex decision making required to stack the wide range of shipments encountered in the FedEx network, which vary in size, shape, weight, and packaging material.

Dexterity AI focuses on the complexity of truck loading by giving mobile robots a suite of intelligence ranging from the ability to see, touch, think, and move quickly to pack trailers with stable, dense walls of randomized boxes. [Read more…] about Dexterity AI and FedEx unveil ‘first-of-its-kind’ robotics trailer loading technology

Plus One Robotics uses Yaskawa Motoman to expand mixed depalletizing solutions

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Plus One Robotics, a provider of advanced AI vision software and solutions for robotic parcel handling, has launched new customer programs using Yaskawa Motoman robots. These customer deployments are for Plus One’s induction and mixed depalletizing solutions.

This deployment of Plus One and Yaskawa robotic solutions consists of 12 new induction systems acquired by FedEx Corp. This purchase builds upon the four existing robotic systems in use at the FedEx Express Hub in Memphis, Tennessee.

Additionally, Plus One successfully introduced its mixed depalletizing systems at the FedEx Reno, NV facility. Plus One’s mixed depalletizing systems will allow for easier, more efficient movement of cases from palleted shipments throughout the FedEx facility. [Read more…] about Plus One Robotics uses Yaskawa Motoman to expand mixed depalletizing solutions

Berkshire Grey and FedEx expand their robotic automation solutions partnership

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Berkshire Grey, a provider of AI-enabled robotic solutions that automate supply chain processes, and logistics giant FedEx have expanded their strategic relationship.

As part of the expansion of this relationship, Berkshire Grey and FedEx have entered into an agreement for new development activities that will provide broader AI robotic automation capabilities to help improve the safety and efficiency of FedEx package handling operations globally.

The two companies also expect to execute a master system purchase agreement in 2022, which will streamline and expedite the procurement process for Berkshire Grey solutions across all FedEx operating companies globally. [Read more…] about Berkshire Grey and FedEx expand their robotic automation solutions partnership

FedEx buys 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop

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FedEx has received its first 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop, the technology startup from General Motors de-carbonizing last-mile delivery.

This marks a critical milestone for FedEx as the company plans to transform its entire parcel pickup and delivery fleet to all-electric, zero-tailpipe emissions by 2040, and comes just months after BrightDrop’s commercialization of the Zevo 600 as the fastest vehicle to market in GM’s history.

Mitch Jackson, chief sustainability officer, FedEx, says: “At FedEx, we have ambitious sustainability goals, and our phased approach to vehicle electrification is a crucial part of our roadmap to achieve carbon neutral global operations. [Read more…] about FedEx buys 150 electric delivery vehicles from BrightDrop

FedEx installs sorting robot from DoraBot at e-commerce facility

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FedEx Express, a division of global logistics giant FedEx, has installed a sorting robot called “DoraSorter” from a company called DoraBot at one of its facilities in China.

Dorabot, a specialist robotics solution provider for logistics, launched DoraSorter – an AI-powered intelligent sorting robot – in collaboration with FedEx Express.

The sorting robot represents FedEx Express’ latest push in digitizing its operations and building a smart logistics network to handle the ever-growing volumes of e-commerce-related shipments in the region. [Read more…] about FedEx installs sorting robot from DoraBot at e-commerce facility

FedEx implements Berkshire Grey’s robotic system for small package processing

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FedEx Ground, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp, has recently implemented Berkshire Grey’s Robotic Product Sortation and Identification (RPSi) systems at its station in Queens, New York.

Berkshire Grey, a developer of Intelligent Enterprise Robotics solutions, executed the RPSi systems to robotically sort the thousands of small packages that arrive daily in bulk into containers bound for other specific hubs and stations across the FedEx Ground network.

FedEx Ground plans to install additional Berkshire Grey RPSi systems at sortation facilities in Las Vegas, Nev., and Columbus, Ohio, in the coming months. [Read more…] about FedEx implements Berkshire Grey’s robotic system for small package processing

FedEx introduces robots to ‘most difficult’ job in sorting facility

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FedEx has installed industrial robotic arms to do what is considered the “most difficult” job to automate in a sorting facility in Memphis, USA. 

As shown in the Wall Street Journal video below, FedEx has integrated Yaskawa robots and software from Plus One Robotics into a robotic system that performs a task which involves picking up parcels or envelopes from a tray and placing them on a conveyor.

While this is a simple job for a human, automating this step in a warehouse has proved very difficult in the past. [Read more…] about FedEx introduces robots to ‘most difficult’ job in sorting facility