Robotic warehouse automation is currently a small portion of overall warehouse automation spending, but it is growing rapidly. Advisory firm Interact Analysis predicts the mobile robotics market could grow from approximately $3.6 billion in 2021 to $18 billion in 2025. The number of warehouse facilities with mobile robots is also projected to expand from 9,000 in 2020 to 53,000 in 2025. In addition, Interact Analysis forecasts a total of 2.1 million robots in service by the end of 2025 with 860,000 of these shipped during that year alone.
AS/RS is a more capital-intensive approach to optimizing a facility for space and efficiency. In some AS/RS examples, mobile robots might travel on dedicated tracks to retrieve goods from totes stored across multiple floors. This can be more efficient but costly to set up. Instead, a simpler robot could be used to operate in a specific, tightly controlled environment.
Robot use in warehouses can increase picking productivity of an order by two to three times. Some companies claim that a single robot saves up to 18 miles of employee walking in the warehouse per day, while also lowering labor costs. These robots can work around the clock, recharging when needed and at different times.
Robotics as a service (RaaS) is one way to gain advantages of warehouse automation. There are fewer start-up and continuing capital costs, as robots can be rented with usage scaled up as needed. Some can be deployed within hours, up to a few weeks or months. Robotics companies are introducing new features and functionality, and continually entering the U.S. market. Here are robotics companies to watch if you are thinking to hire a robot:
6 River Systems
6 River Systems’ robot goes by the name Chuck. Chuck is a cobot (collaborative robot), working along with humans to do the picking and packing in warehouse fulfillment operations. Chuck directs the pickers to the right items, using platforms with different configurations, shapes and sizes. Chuck comes to the worker in the warehouse, saving them from walking around the warehouse as much. Shopify acquired 6 River Systems in 2019 to increase its warehouse work, including picking and packing, sorting and inventory replenishment. 6 Rivers is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.
(Image credits: https://6river.com/meet-chuck/)
Fetch
Fetch Robotics produces a cloud-driven autonomous mobile cobot, with multiple platforms for different payloads. Their bots can begin working within hours of arrival, relying on a cloud-based platform instead of an on-premises server or software installation. They offer API and SDK integration, though. They also offer a TagSurveyor bot, independently conducting inventory counts for items with RFID tags. Their robots for warehouse automation are FlexShelf, RollerTop Guide, HMIShelf, and CartConnect100.
(Image credits: https://fetchrobotics.com/each-picking-robots/)
Geek+
Geek+, a Chinese company, introduced its U.S. RaaS operations in February. The Geek+ cobots are used for sorting and collaborative picking, moving bins or inventory storage to the picking station for manual picking. The company offers robots in different sizes and shapes, depending on need. They currently have more than 10,000 robots operating worldwide. Their robotics include P Series Picking Robots, S Series Sorting Robots, RS Series Robots, M Series Moving Robots, F Series Forklift Robots, A Series Collaborative Picking Robots.
(Image credits: https://www.geekplus.com/technology/robotics)
Locus Robotics
The Locus Robotics system uses collaborative robots (or “cobots”) that move independently with different storage configurations. The bot moves to the worker, instructing them via computer screen what to pick. The workers wear a Bluetooth tag so the bot can identify them.
(Image credits: https://locusrobotics.com/features/directed-picking/)
RightHand Robotics
RightHand Robotics. This warehouse robot also does placing, picking and order fulfillment. Given its name, that’s not a stretch. Its arm can identify and pick items of many sizes and shapes, including from mixed bins. The company was started by researchers at Harvard Biorobotics Lab, the Yale Grab Lab, and MIT. RightHand Robotics is based in Somerville, Massachusetts.
(Image credits: https://www.righthandrobotics.com/products/rightpick)
Amazon Robotics
While Amazon Robotics isn’t selling its technology to the public, its work is followed by others in robotics and warehousing industries. In 2012, Amazon bought Kiva Systems, renaming it. Amazon Robotics currently has more than 100,000 robots in its fulfillment centers, decreasing the time to retrieve items from the shelf to the box by half compared to manual retrieval. The robots operate in a gated area away from the workers, bringing the storage units to the workers for putaway or picking.
Fabric
While Fabric can be used in a warehouse setting, they’re making a name for themselves in microfulfillment, touted for grocery orders close to the customer. The system looks like a large grid or jungle gym, with the totes in the grid transported to the picker by separate lifting and rolling robots. These totes are delivered in suggested packing order. The Israeli company is opening its first U.S. microfulfillment location in New York City.
Vecna Robotics
Vecna Robotics is engaged in the design and development of robotic solutions for workflow automation, chiefly in the distribution, e-commerce, retail, and manufacturing sectors. Its chief offering is automated material handling robots (three variants viz pallet jack, conveyor, and tugger) featuring a payload capacity ranging from 500 to 4,600 kilograms and a maximum speed of 2 meters/second. In addition, the company offers hybrid fulfillment solutions that combine humans and collaborative robots in real-time intelligence for creating uninterrupted workflows. The company claims that the robots are equipped with 360-degree sensor protection and obstacle avoidance technologies allowing them to navigate around both static and dynamic obstacles. Both the products come embedded with Pivot.al which is proprietary AI-based orchestration engine that analyzes the current state of operation and assigns jobs based on accessibility, capability, and location of resources. The company also offers a workflow optimization software that combines real-time data, predictive analytics, and AI to determine which workflows and robots will bring optimized results to enterprises.
(Image credits: https://www.vecnarobotics.com/autonomous-vehicles/autonomous-tugger/)
ATTAbotics
Provider of web-based warehouse automation robots. Offers a robotic AS/RS (automated storage and retrieval system) which is capable of autonomously performing storing/put-away and picking processes. It caters to retail, grocery, and ecommerce industries.
(Image credits: https://www.attabotics.com/solutions/each-pick)
GreyOrange
Provider of AI and web-enabled warehouse automation robots for enterprises. Its AI-enabled software is integrated into the robots to communicate with other robots and with the central system, creating continuous feedback between the algorithms in the software and the real-time operations on the floor. The company offers two products a fleet of mobile robots for moving materials in the warehouse more efficiently and a fully automated sortation system to sort and divert outbound packets.
Kindred
Kindred offers a pick and place robot for e-commerce applications. Its chief industrial application is in sorting items in e-commerce fulfillment facilities.
Seegrid
Seegrid provides vision-guided vehicles with auto-navigation features. It offers a platform for connected materials movement in industries. Their solution consists of Vision Guided Vehicles (VGVs) working in coordination with Seegrid Supervisor - the fleet management software. Their Vision Guided Vehicles are automated guided vehicles enabled with Seegrid Vision that helps them navigate without wires, lasers, magnets, or any guiding tape.
(Image credits: https://seegrid.com/autonomous-mobile-robots/)
MiR (Mobile Industrial Robots)
Logistics success is largely dependent on the efficiency of material handling and internal transportation. These workflows can be optimized by the autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), from MiR. Mobile robots are highly mobile and can be deployed in just hours and redeployed quickly to move everything from small parts to large loads and pallets.
(Image credits: https://www.mobile-industrial-robots.com/solutions/)
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