Let's hear about these seven warehousing and material handling innovations that have won in addressing the challenges of e-commerce growth and labor shortages.
The sales of mobile robots showed a spiral increase in 2021, with 100000 automatic mobile robots (AMR) and automatic guided vehicles (AGV) shipped worldwide. According to interaction analysis, this is an increase of nearly 70% over the previous year.
"By 2025, this number will be close to 700000." Added ash Sharma, managing director of the research company.
Most of the warehouse innovations inspired by the steady growth of e-commerce and the shortage of warehouse workers are concentrated on AMR and AGV, because they enable facilities to increase automation quickly and economically. But innovation also occurs in other aspects of material handling. For example, companies that provide more traditional material handling equipment such as conveyors, totes and pallets are also innovating to help brands meet their needs as efficiently as possible.
Erik Nieves, CEO of plus one robotics, a maker of 3D and AI driven vision software, said: "mobility, operation and storage are now disrupted by technology."
Innovations in almost all aspects of automation and material handling have resulted in a new type of warehouse MVP. Here are seven outstanding achievements.
(1) Best robot vision
The parcel sorting robot is designed to help parcels arrive at their destination as soon as possible, which is more powerful and accurate than ever before, thanks to the software learned with artificial intelligence (AI).
Traditionally, warehouses rely on manual work to make real-time sorting decisions that require "simplification" - the ability to distinguish items from other items. But as developers and manufacturers invest in higher-level visual software, robots can take over these tasks.
For example, kindred, supported by ocado group, recently launched input, an artificial intelligence driven robot system designed to automate the induction process of small packages. It uses the company's proprietary continuous learning software to select, manipulate, and place items on moving conveyors or tilt sorters.
Like human beings, software and robots do better in their work with the accumulation of experience. They also share what they learned in an installation with the product robots in other locations.
"We are one of the few companies in the field of intelligent robots driven by artificial intelligence to deploy reinforcement learning algorithms in real-world environments." Said Marin Tchakarov, chief executive officer of kindred. "Our system learns how to become faster, better and smarter through trial and error. Then we consolidate the learning and pass it on to the entire fleet."
Because of this, from 2020 to 2021, the speed of the system has increased by 17% year-on-year. For the same reason, the more robots the company deploys, the better the system will be for all users.
"For existing customers who host other companies to present specific deployments on their sites, the collaboration created is huge," Tchakarov added.
Although kindred provides hardware and software for its AI enhanced robots, the software manufacturer plus one robotics cooperates with robot manufacturers, such as Tomkins robotics, a recently announced partner.
The two companies are working together to provide an automated picking solution that combines plus one robotics 3D and AI software with the Tompkins robotics tsort system.
Nieves said that recent visual innovations are significant because they mean that robotic arms can eventually perceive, manipulate and grasp objects like humans.
"What they need is vision and 3D vision, because you have to know the depth and height of the object when selecting it." He said. This requires cameras, sensors, and software.
Nieves said that people still do better than robots in this area, so when robots encounter difficulties, his company will provide remote manual support. The "crew leader" monitors robot activity and responds when the system reminds them of a problem.
"This is a disruptive call center," he said. "Usually, when a customer has a problem, he dials the 800 number, and the chat robot will answer. In this case, our robot will call people."
(2) The most inspiring cross company cooperation
After using ambisort parcel sorting system of ambirobotics in e-commerce centers in Ontario, California, USA, Pitney Bowes recently announced that it would add more than 60 robots to 8 of the 17 e-commerce centers in the country, and planned to expand to the rest of the following parts. These robots are used to sort parcels for the last mile before they are delivered to the U.S. Postal Service.
The Ontario pilot is part of the cooperative innovation program for shipping and mail companies, which explores emerging technologies and their potential impact on the company's logistics business. Stephanie cannon, senior vice president and head of global platforms and networks at Pitney Bowes, said: "we helped build the solution as a partner, providing information on what worked, what didn't, and how to improve software and solutions."
After the completion of the system, the partner installed 8 sorting systems and 8 robots in Pitney Bowes' e-commerce center in Stockton, California. It is now fully operational and will serve as a prototype for subsequent installations.
(3) The most affordable robot solution
Robot as a service (RAAS) is a subscription model that allows companies to rent robot equipment instead of buying it directly. According to coherent market insights, the RAAS market is expected to grow from US $12.6 billion in 2020 to more than US $41.3 billion in 2028.
The RAAS agreement made possible the $23million transaction between Pitney bowes/ambi robotics. "We are expanding rapidly and we need to open or expand many other facilities," cannon said. "Building concrete requires a lot of money, and RAAS allows us to keep the money for network expansion."
RAAS is the norm in kindred. "This is what we have been doing since the beginning. Our goal is to enable our customers to apply this incredible emerging technology to their operations as easily and flexibly as possible," Tchakarov said. "Customer pay as you go."
(4) The most flexible conveyor
However, the innovation of packaging and sorting goes beyond robot technology to the conveyor with very low technology content. Logistiq is a new subsidiary of lewco, a manufacturer of unit handling conveyors founded more than 100 years ago, which now provides modular portable roller conveyors. Mechlite allows e-commerce centers to quickly install sorting capacity in a smaller space than traditional conveyor systems.
"We can provide similar sorting capacity in an area as small as 600000 square feet, and the installation time is 4 to 6 weeks instead of 12 months, thus providing huge capacity for the company very quickly." Said Al Sparling, business development manager.
He cited a recent case when a large parcel customer lost facilities due to a tornado. "We received the purchase order on Tuesday and they will sort the parcels in the new building next Tuesday," he said.
(5) The strongest and most uniform handbag and tray
Other low tech innovations include plastic molded products such as handbags, containers, and pallets, which are of uniform size and therefore can be easily integrated with high-speed systems. For example, ORBIS Corporation's new Odyssey plastic pallets are specifically designed for newer shelf systems.
"Rackable plastic pallets optimize storage and provide dimensional consistency for automated equipment, but they also help reduce product damage because no nails protrude or gaps cause the product to fall off." Alex Hempel, the company's senior director of retail supply, said. They also provide a more sustainable alternative to wooden pallets.
(6) The most ingenious safety wearable device insight
When StrongArm technologies, an industrial safety wearable device company, noticed that 60% of the customers' inexperienced warehouse workers in the peak season left or were dismissed within the first 90 days, they checked the wearable device data for insights.
"Although it is assumed that these people are not suitable for the job, we see the opposite." Sean Petterson, CEO and founder, said.
By comparing the selection data from permanent employees and new employees, the company found that the rate of salary increase for new employees was four times faster. In fact, they are working as fast as possible to get permanent positions. But when some people feel they have failed or are afraid of getting hurt, they give up.
StrongArm suggests that students learn and improve at a slower pace. "On the side of the warehouse, we have a much slower conveyor belt that allows new employees to understand the task," Petterson said. "Then slowly, we will gradually improve it until the safety score of the group stabilizes to a safe point." Therefore, the company helped alleviate the shortage of employees by increasing the retention rate of new employees by 45% and reducing the injury rate.
(7) The most intelligent forklift
At the Raymond Corporation, forklifts are being developed in a way that allows pickers to improve picking efficiency and accuracy. "We are adding the ability to integrate trucks into the warehouse management system so that operators do not have to figure out where to go next." "Forklifts automatically take them to the next picking surface," said David Norton, vice president of customer solutions and support
Options such as zoning and positioning provide operators with a more efficient way to make the next pick, making it easier for them to focus on their pick rather than their location in the facility or aisle.
The company is trying to make its material handling equipment more intelligent. At the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT), a team of researchers funded by Raymond Corporation is studying how forklift groups work together autonomously to complete a series of tasks.
"We focus on positioning and navigation - sensors and sensing devices so that vehicles know where they are, where other vehicles are, and how to avoid vehicles and make decisions on the way to their destination." Professor Michael Kuhl says industrial and systems engineering.
The industry also needs such studies between different equipment suppliers. "There is little interoperability between manufacturers." Sharma of interact analysis pointed out: "the forklift of one company can not talk and coordinate with the picker of another company. The world needs more partnerships between industry suppliers." He said.
