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Kenco partners with GreyOrange to elevate fulfillment through AI-powered orchestration

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Kenco, a third-party logistics (3PL) provider, has agreed a long-term partnership with GreyOrange, the global leader in AI-driven warehouse orchestration software.

Over the next five years, Kenco will deploy GreyOrange’s GreyMatter Multi-Process Orchestration Platform (MPOP) across its network of fulfillment centers, supported by fleets of robotic solutions from GreyOrange’s Certified Ranger Network.

The collaboration underscores Kenco’s commitment to redefining fulfillment in the 3PL market by integrating orchestration technology that synchronizes people, processes, and robotic systems across complex and continuously evolving distribution environments. [Read more…] about Kenco partners with GreyOrange to elevate fulfillment through AI-powered orchestration

ODW Logistics expects to improve pick rates by 42 percent with Zebra Technologies

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Zebra Technologies, a provider of warehouse automation technologies, says ODW Logistics has adopted Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment to optimize its e-commerce operations.

With this implementation, ODW Logistics anticipates realizing a 42 percent improvement in pick rates, enhancing its ability to scale while maintaining cost efficiency.

ODW Logistics selected Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment to enhance efficiency and flexibility across its fulfillment operations. [Read more…] about ODW Logistics expects to improve pick rates by 42 percent with Zebra Technologies

Best Technologies for Senior Safety at Home

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Most household injuries for older adults happen in familiar rooms when routines slip. Small gaps in attention can turn into falls, burns, or missed pills.

Medical alert wearables remain the backbone for rapid help. Modern devices add GPS, fall detection, and two way voice so help is one press away.

Brands like Life Assure focus on simple setup, nationwide coverage in Canada, and no long contracts, which matters for families that want reliable support without a complex install. [Read more…] about Best Technologies for Senior Safety at Home

When customers see robots being mistreated, their reactions reveal something deeper about society

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A new study from Hanyang University ERICA, in South Korea, has found that when people witness someone abusing a service robot, their response follows one of two psychological paths: some copy the aggressor’s behavior, while others feel empathy for the robot and act more kindly.

The research, led by Professor Taeshik Gong, offers one of the first empirical looks at a phenomenon that many people have noticed but few have studied – the discomfort that arises when robots are kicked, shoved, or insulted in public or online videos.

Such scenes, once intended to showcase a robot’s balance or durability, increasingly strike observers as needlessly cruel. [Read more…] about When customers see robots being mistreated, their reactions reveal something deeper about society

Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’

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Locus Robotics has become one of the defining companies in warehouse automation, best known for its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) that work alongside people in logistics centers around the world.

But increasingly, the company’s real differentiator may lie not in the hardware itself – which many would argue has reached near-optimal design for its purpose – but in the intelligence that drives it.

Hamid Montazeri, senior vice president of software and AI at Locus Robotics, leads the team responsible for that intelligence. His work focuses on developing what he calls “physical AI” – domain-specific artificial intelligence designed to operate in the unpredictable, fast-moving environment of a warehouse. [Read more…] about Interview with Locus Robotics software leader: ‘AI delivers clear advantages over generic foundational models’

Epson Robots to demonstrate automation innovations at The Assembly Show 2025

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Epson Robots says it will showcase a range of high-performance, cost-effective automation technologies at The Assembly Show 2025, taking place in Rosemont, Illinois, from October 21-23. The company will demonstrate its latest SCARA and 6-Axis robots and related automation systems at booth #319.

Epson, which describes itself as the world’s leading SCARA robot manufacturer, says its systems are designed to help manufacturers overcome challenges such as labor shortages, reshoring, and the demand for flexible production. The company says its solutions aim to simplify automation while improving speed, safety, and efficiency.

Scott Marsic, group product manager, Epson Robots, says: “From easy-to-integrate robots to user-friendly software tools, Epson makes automation simple, accessible and cost-effective. [Read more…] about Epson Robots to demonstrate automation innovations at The Assembly Show 2025

Truck maker Scania marks historic milestone with new €2 billion global industrial hub in China

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Swedish truck maker Scania has taken what it describes as “a momentous step in its 134-year journey” by inaugurating its third global industrial hub, in China.

The company says that this investment not only strengthens Scania’s global footprint but positions the company “at the heart of the world’s largest truck market”.

The new industrial hub in Rugao, Jiangsu Province, represents one of Scania’s largest global investments to date.

Covering 800,000 square metres, the site has a licensed production capacity of 50,000 vehicles a year and will serve both the Chinese market and selected export markets in Asia and beyond. [Read more…] about Truck maker Scania marks historic milestone with new €2 billion global industrial hub in China

Starship Technologies raises $50 million Series C to scale autonomous delivery across US cities

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Starship Technologies, one of the world’s largest autonomous delivery companies with over 9 million deliveries across seven nations, has announced the successful completion of a $50 million funding round led by Plural.

The company, founded by Skype co-founders Ahti Heinla and Janus Friis, has now raised more than $280 million in total funding to replicate its success in European cities and US university campuses across American urban markets.

Starship operates at absolute commercial scale with a track record no competitor can match. Having proven autonomous delivery works across multiple European urban markets and US university campuses, the company is now positioned to transform American urban logistics. [Read more…] about Starship Technologies raises $50 million Series C to scale autonomous delivery across US cities

Robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments

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UC San Diego researchers have developed a soft robotic skin that enables vine robots that are just a few millimeters wide to navigate convoluted paths and fragile environments.

To accomplish this, the researchers integrated a very thin layer of actuators made of liquid crystal elastomer at strategic locations in the soft skin. The robot is steered by controlling the pressure inside its body and temperature of the actuators.

The researchers showed that a robot equipped with this skin could successfully navigate a model of the arteries in a human body. The robot also was able to navigate a model of the interior of a jet engine. [Read more…] about Robotic skin allows tiny robots to navigate complex, fragile environments

Chinese shipping to the US collapses by 90 percent amid Trump tariff threats and higher port fees

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Chinese ships entering US ports have fallen by more than 90 percent since January, according to new data from maritime analytics firm Pole Star Global. The collapse underscores how quickly trade between the world’s two largest economies is deteriorating amid rising tariffs and new port fees. 

Pole Star says the number of Chinese vessels entering the United States dropped from 1,678 in January to just 156 so far in October (as of October 14th), following the introduction of reciprocal port fees and the renewed threat of tariffs from the Trump administration.

Saleem Khan, chief data and analytics officer at Pole Star Global, says: “We are seeing Chinese vessels that are being screened by our customers nearing zero. [Read more…] about Chinese shipping to the US collapses by 90 percent amid Trump tariff threats and higher port fees