Robotics & Automation News

Market trends and business perspectives

warehouses

Geek+ powers remote operations and new deployments for Decathlon in China

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Geek+, an autonomous mobile robot manufacturer, has extended its co-operation with Decathlon, one of the world’s largest retailers of sporting goods.

Decathlon is present in over 50 countries with more than 1,600 stores globally and has been partnering with Geek+ on a successful two-year collaboration in its e-commerce and retail fulfillment centers in Shanghai.

Decathlon has now accelerated its automation program, with AMR deployments at two new sites in China. The installations were implemented remotely in under three months, following strict pandemic restrictions. [Read more…] about Geek+ powers remote operations and new deployments for Decathlon in China

Waypoint launches Kingpin lift and hitch top module for its warehouse robots

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Waypoint Robotics has launched a top module that enables the company’s omnidirectional warehouse robots to automatically load and unload payloads and connect to a variety of carts for material movement.

The module is called “Kingpin” and Waypoint says it enables its Vector robot – a 600 lb payload capacity AMR – to do two critical jobs with one simple top module, as opposed to having a dedicated fleet of lift deck robots for automatic load/unload, and another dedicated fleet of cart connecting robots for cart transport.

With Kingpin, Vector can automatically pick up a tote on one side of the factory, deliver it to the other side of the factory, and then connect to a cart on the way back to the starting point. [Read more…] about Waypoint launches Kingpin lift and hitch top module for its warehouse robots

How robotics and AI are changing the fashion industry and warehousing sector

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The fashion industry is investing huge amounts of money in artificial intelligence systems that can provide what is called “sentiment analysis”, which is similar to customer feedback, except that it’s indirectly acquired.

Typically, sentiment analytics systems can gather information from social media pages as well as through natural language processing, perhaps through listening to customer phone calls.

A massive number of data points can be collated and analysed – a quantity of information that only an AI system can process. And after processing it all, conclusions can be drawn. [Read more…] about How robotics and AI are changing the fashion industry and warehousing sector

Geek+ smart warehouses break Single’s Day record with 8 million orders delivered in 72 hours

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Geek+ says it implemented and completed large-scale scheduling of more than 4,000 robots in its smart warehouses during this year’s 11.11 Singles’ Day shopping festival.

China’s largest smart warehouse network processed a record 8 million orders in 72 hours.

Geek+ says “the successful deployment is a fantastic validation of the strength of the robotics-as-a-service business model” and the flexibility and efficiency of smart warehouses during periods of peak orders, including the ultimate challenge of the world’s largest shopping festival. [Read more…] about Geek+ smart warehouses break Single’s Day record with 8 million orders delivered in 72 hours

DHL installs floor-cleaning robots from Avidbots in its warehouses

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Logistics giant DHL has installed a number of floor-cleaning robots at its warehouses in North America.

The machines are made and supplied by a company called Avidbots, which says it is working with DHL Supply Chain to integrate its “Neo” floor-scrubbing robots in select warehouses it manages in North America.

Faizan Sheikh, CEO, and co-founder of Avidbots, says: “Avidbots Neo will bring the most advanced robotic floor cleaning to several warehouses managed by DHL Supply Chain North America. [Read more…] about DHL installs floor-cleaning robots from Avidbots in its warehouses

ThyssenKrupp to invest over €70 million in European warehouses

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ThyssenKrupp’s material handling division is to invest more than €70 million in its European warehousing and logistics network.

The company – which claims to be “the western world’s biggest materials distributor” – says automation and digitalization will “significantly boost productivity”.

ThyssenKrupp Materials Services, the distribution and service provider of the ThyssenKrupp Group, says the €70 million investment in the modernization and expansion will include a state-of-the-art logistics center and new warehouses in Germany, Poland and Hungary. [Read more…] about ThyssenKrupp to invest over €70 million in European warehouses

Warehouse automation: Overview of infrastructure choices

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Get more details and statistics by downloading the white paper ‘Flexible v Fixed Infrastructure: The warehouses of today and tomorrow’

In these computer-dominated times, the word “infrastructure” can prompt people to think both of physical infrastructure, which we are focusing on here, as well as digital infrastructure.

Staying in the digital dimension for a moment, if you are planning to establish a warehouse, you are likely going to need to set up your data infrastructure first.

A Local Area Network, or LAN, covers your warehouse and the immediate vicinity, while the Wide Area Network will cover facilities in various locations and connect them all up to the head office, which may be in a separate place altogether. [Read more…] about Warehouse automation: Overview of infrastructure choices

Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

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In 2017 there were nearly 350,000 incidents of workers taking sick leave due to injuries affecting muscles, nerves, ligaments or tendons – like carpal tunnel syndrome – according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Among the workers with the highest number of incidents: people who work in factories and warehouses.

Musculoskeletal disorders happen at work when people use awkward postures or perform repeated tasks. These behaviors generate strain on the body over time. So it’s important to point out and minimize risky behaviors to keep workers healthy on the job. [Read more…] about Want to know how safe your warehouse job is? There’s an app for that

From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery: Warehouse robots are the quintessential sign of changing times

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Ever since Amazon acquired Kiva Systems in 2012 for $775 million and took the startup company’s robots off the market, warehouse managers have been looking for alternative suppliers. 

At that time, there simply no significantly well-known alternatives or proven solutions, but now, seven years on, there is a relatively large number of companies which build and supply warehouse robots.

It’s highly unlikely to be a coincidence that, in the intervening years, Amazon has grown extremely fast to become not only the world’s largest online retailer but also one of the largest logistics companies – not just in its native US, but worldwide. [Read more…] about From old mail order catalogues to same-day delivery: Warehouse robots are the quintessential sign of changing times

Warehouse automation: Plenty of room for robots

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The US has almost 10 billion square feet of warehousing space, according to research consultancy CBRE, which says 1 billion sq ft of that space was built in the past 10 years. 

Among the geographical areas with the highest number of warehouses are:

  1. Los Angeles :: 10,161 warehouses
  2. Chicago :: 7,042
  3. Northern New Jersey :: 5,208
  4. Boston :: 4,222
  5. Orange County :: 4,162
  6. Central New Jersey :: 3,926
  7. Oakland :: 3,580
  8. Detroit :: 3,542
  9. Denver :: 2,744
  10. St Louis :: 2,636

The vast majority of warehouses – even the new ones – are not automated to a significant extent, and if it is, it’s most likely with what might be considered traditional technology, meaning conveyors and human-driven forklift trucks.  [Read more…] about Warehouse automation: Plenty of room for robots

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