In the whole internal logistics field, the sales of autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are booming. In fact, in a recent report, interact analytics predicted that more than 1.1 million robots would be deployed in warehouses worldwide by the end of 2024. Earlier this year, almost one in five business owners surveyed by the imhx Optimism Index expected to use AMR to some extent in the next 12 months - a very high number for a technology that was considered futuristic a few years ago.
Simply put, AMR technology is different from the science behind the age-old AGV, because these devices do not rely on human interaction to change routes. Instead, the airborne navigation system guides them between destinations.
These robots have proven to be a particularly effective alternative to belt based sorting systems that have historically been used in parcel centers and order execution centers. Their appeal is based in part on the fact that they require a much smaller operating area than the conveyor belt to achieve the same package throughput Statistics - a special benefit that is clearly an important advantage when every square foot of available space must be optimized.
The modular sorting system based on AMR is also scalable. Therefore, additional robots can be introduced when necessary to cope with any peak throughput. More importantly, if a single robot fails, it can be simply and quickly removed from the "workshop" and replaced without significant decline in throughput. The technology is also fully mobile, which allows the system to switch between different locations when needed.
So far, China and the United States have been the top two investors in the AMR sorting system. However, with the spread of the reputation that autonomous mobile robot technology has brought flexibility and scalability to some of the world's busiest parcel sorting centers, the European logistics community is increasingly aware of the benefits of this innovative, low capital expenditure method.
Of course, other forms of robotics and automated internal logistics technology are also taking off. For example, as the large reduction of forklift drivers is considered a major problem, more and more warehouse and distribution center operators see driverless forklift technology as a solution to the challenges of recruitment and employment costs they face.
Driverless forklifts undertake every type of task that manual forklifts should do -- including vehicle loading and unloading, pallet placement and retrieval in standard and very narrow aisle rack configurations, and pallet and static object movement throughout the warehouse.
In addition to the obvious labor cost savings brought by driverless forklifts, other benefits include: reducing damage to goods, shelves and trucks; Improve the accuracy of picking; And more efficient use of available storage space.
DHL and Wal mart are well-known enterprises that have adopted driverless forklifts, and countless small and medium forklift users are also benefiting from the advantages brought by this technology.
Artificial intelligence, machine learning, "big data" and the Internet of things are beginning to be widely adopted in the whole logistics field, making warehouses or distribution centers self-learning, self correcting and self optimizing operations that can adapt to changes in real time.
