Material Handling / Logistics / Supply Chain
Autonomous driving company WeRide has unveiled the WeRide Robovan, the first Level 4 self-driving cargo van in China. The company said it will work with Jiangling Motors (JMC) and ZTO Express in a strategic agreement to promote mass production and commercialization of the vehicle. The companies will create an autonomous driving ecosystem for China’s urban logistics.
Geek+, a global maker of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), has announced the launch of its RoboShuttle RS8-DA, an eight-meter high flexible arm robot. The new robot is designed to allow customers to maximize the use of their warehouses.
Read more: Geek+ Launches 8-meter-high Flexible Arm Robot...
Research firm Interact Analysis is predicting that by the end of 2025, 2.1 million mobile robots will be deployed in more than 53,000 warehouses and factories. This compares to 2020, in which over 9,000 customer sites had mobile robots deployed.
Plus One Robotics, which develops vision software for robotic picking, and Locus Robotics, which develops autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for fulfillment warehouses, have announced a collaboration to develop an automatic picking solution. The system will combine mobile robots and stationary picking arms designed to boost productivity in e-commerce fulfillment centers.
Dexterity, which creates intelligent robotic systems for logistics, warehouses, and supply chain companies, has announced it raised an additional $140 million in Series B equity funding and depth. The company said it will use the new capital to support the growth of the company as its first thousand robots are deployed into production. The latest funding raises Dexterity’s total capitalization over $200 million with a valuation of $1.4 billion.
Volocopter announced that its electric, heavy-lift drone VoloDrone has conducted its first public flight, held at the ITS World Congress 2021 in Hamburg, Germany. With international logistics firm DB Schenker, Volocopter demonstrated the VoloDrone’s seamless integration ito the logistics supply chain with an end-to-end cargo transport demonstration. In early 2020, DB Schenker became a strategic investor in VoloCopter, and the demonstration showed their progress since that investment, the company said.
Read more: Volocopter Demonstrates FIrst Public Flight of...
Berkshire Grey and Atos have announced a partnership to accelerate automation of supply chain operations. The two companies will bring Intelligent Enterprise Robotic solutions to retail, transportation and logistics (RTL) customers to help them overcome strained supply chains.
Locus Robotics and Körber Supply Chain have announced that a deployment of 49 autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) across the Integrated Supply Network (ISN) has resulted in a productivity increase of 266%.
Read more: AMR Deployment Sees 266% Productivity Jump, Says...
Transport and logistics provider GEODIS has announced a partnership with integrator Bastian Solutions to implement an AutoStore system into a new fulfillment site for a leading clothing retailer. The $48 million material handling equipment deal will deliver the highest throughput documented of an AutoStore system globally to support the retailer’s omnichannel capabilities, including e-commerce and more than 1,000 physical stores across the U.S.
Denmark’s ROEQ has announced the launch of two new top modules and accessories that boost the payload and lifting capabilities of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) from Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR). The new ROEQ TMS-C1500 allows MiR AMRs to transport up to 1,500 kg for the first time. The company also launched the TML200 top module, with a stroke of 40 mm that can lift loads carried by the MiR250 robot.
Read more: ROEQ Launches New Top Models to Boost Payloads...
Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) has announced a new integration partnership with CSi palletising, a Netherlands-based company that provides end-of-line palletizing solutions for consumer packaged goods (CPG) and fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) companies. The collaboration will include CSi’s high-level infeed layer palletizer integrated with MiR’s MiR1350 autonomous mobile robot (AMR) to fully automate the transport of heavy pallets of materials within CPG/FMCG facilities.
Read more: MiR, CSi palletising Team up to Integrate Pallet...
OTTO Motors, which develops autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) has announced a partnership with Siemens Canada, which develops digital transformation software. The company will develop high-performance collaborative mobile robot control to physical asset tracking using real time location systems (RTLS). The RTLS is Siemens’ latest technology that uses a scalable locating system designed for industrial applications.
Locomation, a Pittsburgh-based provider of autonomous truck technology, has announced a collaboration with Aon plc to develop a risk management plan as Locomation plans commercial deployment of its autonomous freight transport and backend platform. Aon, a professional services firm that provides a range of risk, retirement, and health solutions, will work with Locomation and insurance carriers to assess the autonomous technology risks and align them with insurance industry best practices.
Read more: Locomation, Aon Develop Risk Management Plan for...
Kodiak Robotics, which is developing self-driving truck technology, has announced its fourth-generation autonomous truck. The new truck will feature Luminar’s Iris lidar, ZF’s Full Range Radar, Hesai’s 360-degree scanning lidars for side- and rear-view detection, a Cummins X15 Series engine, Bridgestone Americas’ smart-sensing tire technology, and the NVIDIA DRIVE platform. The company said the fourth-generation trucks will debut on-road starting in Q4 2021, as it begins to take delivery of 15 new tractors.
Vecna Robotics, which develops pallet-handling autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and workflow orchestration software, has announced new software to increase AMR performance for warehouse, distribution and manufacturing organizations. The new Mark 3 software aims to double fleet performance and improve efficiency and throughput, while continuing to exceed industry safety standards.
U.K.-based Academy of Robotics and the Royal Air Force have announced a new trial deployment of autonomous vehicles on an airbase as part of the RAF’s Astra campaign to deliver next-generation Air Force capabilities. This marks the first time that autonomous vehicles have been deployed on a U.K. airbase by the RAF.