The robots are coming – Part I

Robotics is one of the most exciting emerging technologies in the materials handling industry. Over three blogs, I’ll take a look at the development of a new mobile piece picking robot by a start-up with roots at Carnegie Mellon, and a pilot test at a pharmaceutical and medical supplies distribution facility. The columns aren’t meant to be an endorsement of any one company or its solution, but a look at one project.

Much has been written lately in the mainstream press about the future of robotics. The consensus is that robots are coming, if they’re not here already. The New York Times, for instance, recently ran an article highlighting some of the struggles the workforce may confront as robots grow smarter.

Meanwhile, the Wall Street Journal reported on some of the ways robots are automating mundane, dirty and repetitive tasks on the line in small to mid-sized businesses – the Journal’s broader point is that robots were once limited to big, asset-intensive manufacturers like the automakers but are now within reach of every day businesses.

Of course, robotics has been making inroads in automated materials handling for a number of years. I don’t know about you, but I consider an AGV, an AS/RS crane or a shuttle system a form of robotics. Robotic palletizers have been expanding in use, and, of course, there was a lot of buzz for a time around Kiva. All of that is proven technology that works in our industry, even if achieving an ROI is still a limiting factor.

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