Robotics & Automation News

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Automation is the ‘obvious answer’ to coronavirus disruption to e-grocery supply chain, says Swisslog

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Higher levels of automation is the “obvious answer” to the challenges brought about by the disruption to the e-grocery supply chain, according to warehouse robots maker Swisslog.

The company says Covid-19 is “accelerating changes to e-grocery fulfillment”.

After years of relatively stagnant demand, e-grocery services started to ramp up in 2019 and analysts were predicting significant growth in 2020. [Read more…] about Automation is the ‘obvious answer’ to coronavirus disruption to e-grocery supply chain, says Swisslog

Estonian supermarket chain Selver installs automated store technology

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Selver, an Estonian supermarket chain, has introduced fully automated store or locker technology at one of its 50 or more locations.

The store was developed, manufactured and supplied by Cleveron, a technology company which produces a range of automated item-dispensing systems, often using the word “robot” to describe them.

The Cleveron 501 is a stationary automated store that enables customers to receive online-ordered groceries without human contact. The first robotic grocery locker is situated on the outskirts of Tallinn, in front of Peetri Selver. 
[Read more…] about Estonian supermarket chain Selver installs automated store technology

Business ideas emerging in China during Covid-19

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The Covid-19 outbreak has dealt a huge economic blow to China. The country’s supply chains are collapsing, many manufacturing firms have closed down, there is minimal human interaction, and consumer behavior has changed in unprecedented ways.

However, as in all known crises, a lot of new business ideas and opportunities have come out of the prevailing crisis. Online-to-offline commerce (O2O) is on the rise, the demand for 5G has increased, and the need for online education has skyrocketed.

New shopping preferences have necessitated mass changes in China’s labor market. Employers need to hire locals with extraordinary skills and talents; workers with the needed muscle to withstand the harsh realities of the ongoing lockdown and social distancing. [Read more…] about Business ideas emerging in China during Covid-19

Nuro puts its delivery robot into action against coronavirus

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Nuro, a California-based startup building small, wheeled autonomous delivery robots, is using its technology in the fight against the coronavirus outbreak in the US. (See video below.)

America now has the highest death toll in the world from Covid-19 and authorities have set up many temporarily hospitals and treatment centres across the country.

One of these temporary hospitals is located at the Sleep Train Arena, a basketball stadium which used to be the home of the Sacramento Kings, and another at the San Mateo County Event Center. [Read more…] about Nuro puts its delivery robot into action against coronavirus

Walmart integrates Alphabot into its warehouse operations

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Retail giant Walmart has integrated a warehouse automation system, Alphabot, into its operations after undertaking tests for almost a year. (See video below.)

Alphabot, technically an automated storage and retrieval system, was especially developed for Walmart by startup company Alert Innovation.

Walmart says the Alphabot system will “revolutionize the online grocery pickup and delivery process”. [Read more…] about Walmart integrates Alphabot into its warehouse operations

Walgreens chooses Postmates for grocery deliveries

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Walgreens and Postmates are partnering to provide quick, convenient, on-demand delivery for customers looking for over-the-counter medications, health and wellness, beauty and grocery products.

Postmates will deliver hundreds of Walgreens’ most popular items from 174 Walgreens and Duane Reade locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Whether it will use its delivery robots remains to be seen, but it’s certainly an option in the long term.

Craig Whitmer, VP, merchant business development, Postmates, says: “In the last year, orders from convenience and drugstores have increased by 68 percent. [Read more…] about Walgreens chooses Postmates for grocery deliveries

Cleveron launches the world’s first ‘grocery robot’ with two temperature zones

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Everyone’s familiar with vending machines – the ones that dispense food and drinks after you pay into it, perhaps using cash or a card. 

But they’ve evolved into much larger systems which could be described as fully automated stores.

A company called Cleveron calls the automated stores it supplies “robots”, which makes us wonder yet again about the definition of a robot. [Read more…] about Cleveron launches the world’s first ‘grocery robot’ with two temperature zones

Amazon could assimilate Whole Foods workers into robots and drones in some sort of cyber-physical dystopian Borg-like nightmare

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By Lisa Baertlein and Harriet McLeod, Reuters

The merger that shook food and retail stocks on Friday – Amazon’s proposed deal to buy Whole Foods Market – rattled some employees of the upscale grocery chain who expressed fears ranging from layoffs to the loss of their laid-back corporate culture.

The online retailer hopes the $13.7 billion acquisition helps it disrupt the grocery business and expand its real-world store footprint.

Carmen Clark, 37, a six-year employee at a store in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, said some workers worry that Amazon-led automation could lead to job cuts.  [Read more…] about Amazon could assimilate Whole Foods workers into robots and drones in some sort of cyber-physical dystopian Borg-like nightmare

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