Inaugural Robo Boston Festival celebrates the Commonwealth’s amazing robotics cluster
Robo Boston, one of the largest celebrations of robots and robotics of its kind, will take place in the innovative Boston Seaport neighborhood on Friday, October 1 and Saturday, October 2, 2021. More than 40 companies and universities will gather to showcase cutting-edge robotics and technology in a series of professional and STEM-related events. Robo Boston will be held at and around Seaport Common, 85 Northern Avenue, Boston, MA. “As the birthplace of practical robotics, it is great to see MassRobotics celebrating the continued growth and development of the industry,” said Colin Angle, CEO, iRobot, and board member, MassRobotics. “Regardless of whether you are eager to begin a career in the field or curious about the state of the art, this year’s Robo Boston Festival is set to be a game-changing event for the community.” Robo Boston will feature the following events: The Robotics Executive Forum, October 1: An invite-only speaking engagement featuring key leaders in the robotics industry. Robotics and AI Technical Career Fair, October 1, 4 p.m. – 6 p.m.: Public career fair that will be focused on AI and robotics jobs. Participating companies include iRobot, Boston Dynamics, Piaggio Fast Forward, and more to be announced. The 4th Annual Robot Block Party, October 2, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.: A family-friendly event, open to the public, including a STEM pop-up experience where participants can build and program robots. The Robotics and AI Technical Career Fair will feature more than a dozen companies hosting information sessions where candidates can learn more about each organization, discover open positions, understand what career tracks look like, and schedule interviews. Job seekers must register for the event in advance on Eventbrite here. Robotics and AI companies interested in participating in the career fair should contact MassRobotics at info@massrobotics.org. “WS Development is proud to partner with MassRobotics to showcase groundbreaking technologies and celebrate innovation in the Seaport by providing our neighbors with the opportunity to experience and enjoy the most cutting-edge enterprises in the Robotics world,” says Yanni Tsipis, Senior Vice President, Development at WS Development. “Seaport has quickly become the epicenter for innovation in Boston and is home to the region’s top tech and science practitioners, making the neighborhood the ideal location to showcase the very best that the Massachusetts robotics community has to offer.” Expanding upon popular Robot Block Party activities from past years – including robot demonstrations, presentations from area robotics companies and universities, hands-on interactions with robots, games, and more – this year’s 4th Annual Robot Block Party will be held on October 2, 2021. The event is made possible with sponsorship from iRobot, the New Horizons Studio, Toyota Research Institute, and the MITRE Corporation and with the support of Boston Seaport by WS Development. More details and registration can be found here. The Robot Block Party lets the public see and interact with exciting technology, including vertical lift transport vehicles, drones, autonomous vehicles, collaborative robots, humanoids, and even a robot dog from Boston Dynamics. The STEM pop-up will host hands-on activities geared towards children of all ages with educational kits that all participants will enjoy using to learn about the world of robotics. “The world looks to our cluster for innovations and advances in robotics, and Robo Boston is a chance to celebrate, recognize and share our robust community. We’re thrilled to grow our Robot Block Party of years past into a robotics celebration that’s larger than ever before and engage the community in this showcase of cutting-edge technology,” said Tom Ryden, executive director, MassRobotics. “The excitement from students continues to grow; we host many STEM events and student visits at MassRobotics throughout the year. Robo Boston gives students and families a unique, hands-on opportunity to learn about developments in the field and see how robots will impact their lives.”
AutoScheduler.AI named a Gartner Cool Vendor
Showcases Innovative, Impactful, and Intriguing new businesses AutoScheduler.AI, an innovative Warehouse Management System (WMS) accelerator, announces mention in Gartner® “Cool Vendors™ in Supply Chain Execution Technologies, 2021” report, published September 9, 2021. The report is written by Gartner analysts Dwight Klappich, Carly West, Oscar Sanchez Duran, Bart De Muynck, and Simon Tunstall. According to Gartner, “Gartner’s definition of a Cool Vendor is a small company offering a technology or service that is innovative, impactful or intriguing. The three elements of a Cool Vendor include: Innovative — Enables users to do things they could not do before. Impactful — Has or will have a business impact, not just technology for its own sake. Intriguing — Has caught Gartner’s interest during the past six months.” [2] “We believe that AutoScheduler.AI illustrates the definition of a Gartner Cool Vendor because we are the first intelligence warehouse orchestration solution in the industry. We have saved global CPG companies more than $4M annually at a single site by improving on-time, in-full fulfillment, labor, and inventory management. We consider that it is a once-in-a-lifetime honor to be mentioned as a Gartner Cool Vendor, and we are truly excited. It will bring us exposure to global businesses looking for unique solutions to their problems, potential investors, and the media writing the next big story to cover,” said Keith Moore, Chief Product Officer AutoScheduler.
GEODIS Partners with AHS to Implement Exotec Robotic Solution to optimize e-Commerce Fulfillment
GEODIS, a global transport and logistics provider, and Advanced Handling Systems (AHS, LLC), a full-service provider of integrated fulfillment and distribution solutions, has announced a new partnership to implement the Exotec Skypod System into GEODIS’ eLogistics site in Nashville, Tenn. The cutting-edge robotic system will allow GEODIS to optimize the e-Commerce fulfillment process on behalf of its emerging direct-to-consumer customers. GEODIS recently announced the expansion of its eLogistics service in the U.S. to provide best-in-class e-Commerce fulfillment solutions for startups and growing e-Commerce retailers from four new strategic GEODIS eLogistics locations. GEODIS will partner with AHS to integrate the Exotec Skypod System into GEODIS’ state-of-the-art automated eLogistics facility that will go live in Nashville, Tenn., in Q1 of 2022. An agile and high-performing automated goods-to-person solution for the retail and e-Commerce industries, the Exotec Skypod System is the first of its kind to use mobile robots that can move in three dimensions and reach heights of 36 feet to enable efficient, high-density inventory storage. “eLogistics is an important strategic initiative for our company, and collaborating with our long-term partners at AHS in new technology with Exotec will be winning formula for our exciting new product,” said Eric Douglas, Executive Vice President of Technology and Engineering at GEODIS in Americas. “By implementing the Exotec Skypod System into our GEODIS eLogistics site, we can enable an even faster shipping experience for our customers as e-Commerce continues to drive demand.” Exotec has revolutionized the fulfillment industry in Europe and Japan and continues to grow its presence in the U.S. market with customers like Gap Inc., Ariat International, and Comoto Holdings recently adopting the Skypod system. The Exotec Skypod uses laser scanner navigation and robust software to increase warehouse throughput by up to five times with a two-minute response time for all SKUs. The system is designed to improve working conditions and foster more sustainable warehouse productivity by reducing highly repetitive, physically intensive tasks like walking, lifting, and bending. “The hockey-stick growth of e-Commerce coupled with the growing importance of supply chain resilience continues to be a massive tailwind for scalable robotics solutions like Exotec,” said Romain Moulin, CEO of Exotec. “We are delighted to join forces with AHS and GEODIS to better serve the rapidly evolving needs of the North American market.” “AHS has been working with GEODIS for several years and has formed a strategic partnership to provide ground-breaking solutions to assist the company with best-in-class offerings,” said Chuck Frank, President of AHS. “The AHS team is committed to being on the cutting edge of technology and expanding its market share by investing in the training, deployment, and post-go-live support of trending technologies. Exotec is a great strategic partner of AHS, and we are excited about yet another successful installation of an Exotec solution. AHS is thrilled to be a part of GEODIS’ eLogistics service, and we congratulate their team on their commitment to pushing technology to new levels.” The leading integrator of the Exotec solution in North America, AHS will complete the installation of the system into GEODIS’ eLogistics facility with guidance from Exotec’s execution team. AHS and GEODIS collaborated on the design of the construction build for the GEODIS eLogistics site so it can be easily expanded, with plans to double its initial size in the future. “As we continue to see a significant increase in direct-to-consumer e-Commerce brands today, GEODIS remains dedicated to providing cutting-edge technology solutions that will best meet our customers’ unique needs when it comes to enabling fast and flexible operations,” said Drew Bailey, Senior Director of Design Engineering at GEODIS in Americas. “The integration of the Exotec Skypod System will allow us to further optimize our e-Commerce fulfillment process on behalf of our customer’s thanks to its efficient, scalable, and responsive goods-to-person technology.”
BMG’s Automation Solutions to showcase Robotic Material Handling capabilities at PACK EXPO Las Vegas 2021
BMG (Brown Machine Group) will be showcasing robotic automation technology from NAS Nalle Automation Systems at PACK EXPO Las Vegas, Sept 27th-29th, 2021, in Las Vegas, NV. Stop by booth 5442 to learn how the NAS robotic solutions improve material handling productivity, safety, and overall equipment effectiveness (OEE). NAS will demonstrate its integrated robotic material handling technology using a sorting, counting, picking, and placing loop with a common, high-volume foodservice product—plastic cups. NAS robotic material handling solutions use an integrated design approach to effectively handle materials throughout the manufacturing and packaging process. This allows for systems that combine conventional automation with the advantages of robotics, which is ideal for low value, hard to handle, or flimsy products, and any lightweight paper and plastic products that need to be controlled. NAS’ capabilities are perfect for a variety of packaging applications, especially those used for food and foodservice such as cups, lids, plates, bowls, and containers. “The acquisition of robotic integrator aXatronics in 2020 has brought new products, talent, and broader approach to our engineered solutions”, according to Kurt Huelsman, President of NAS Nalle Automation Systems. “Integrating the capabilities of robotics into conventional automation is not a simple bolt-on. We are designing systems from the ‘concrete up’ focused on the process, not just applying the technology. The robot itself is one important part of the solution that provides the functionality to handle the range of difficult materials.” The addition of robotics capabilities has generated new products that solve traditionally hard to automate areas of an operation affected by labor challenges. Inline processes such as WIP (Work in process) material handling and controlling finished goods directly out of production are two areas where the value of automation is high due to the burdens on manual labor to connect the manufacturing and packaging processes. NAS has developed unique, inventive solutions for the paper and plastic foodservice industry to address these challenges. Adding their core technologies of counting, wrapping, and complete end-of-line packaging allows NAS to automate entire lines.
Darr Equipment Co. announces new Logistics Engineering Division
Darr Equipment Co., one of the largest Caterpillar forklift dealerships in the country, announced the launch of 54 Intralogistics. The new company will provide advanced material handling solutions to include optimized warehouse systems design, equipment integration, automation, and robotics, automated guided vehicles, racking storage and dock equipment, project management, and logistical solutions. Although new in name, 54 Intralogistics has a deep history and vast experience in the material handling industry. Darr Equipment Co was originally founded in 1954 by Hal Darr as a Caterpillar diesel tractor dealership selling paving equipment of the era. The company has evolved through the years and has held true to Hal Darr’s guiding principle of supporting customers with best-in-class equipment and services. Currently, Darr has 11 locations throughout Texas and Oklahoma and represents nearly 20 brands of material handling equipment with parts, service, rentals, and training. “We created 54 Intralogistics because it was time for the next innovation in integrated warehouse solutions,” said Robert Engstrom, president, Darr Equipment Co, and 4th-generation leader (Hal Darr’s great-grandson) of the family-owned business. “There was a need to assist customers maximizing the speed and efficiency of their businesses from the inside out by integrating equipment and technology that would optimize the flow of products at their facility.” The pandemic has fast-forwarded the material handling industry like many other industries forced to adapt to changing supply chain demands. Many traditional material handling professionals need a trusted resource to guide them into the next generation of warehouse solutions and new technologies, including smart equipment options, automation, robotics, and integration. The company name was pulled from the roots of Darr’s founding in 1954. The 54 Intralogistics team of engineers and consultants has been structured to help businesses of all sizes and has been helping Darr customers for decades. That experience has equipped the new division with the expertise and resources to transform businesses anywhere in the country since it is no longer tied to the geographical limitations of most equipment dealerships. At 54 Intralogistics, customers will get the best of both worlds: advanced material handling and integrated warehouse products solutions.
Automation and Warehouse Logistics Industry leader David Campbell joins Burns & McDonnell
With two decades of engineering, project management, and automation experience, David Campbell joins Burns & McDonnell to lead design and construction solutions for distribution and warehouse facilities throughout the U.S. Campbell will manage projects for a wide range of clients across multiple industries. “The need for increased levels of automation within distribution centers and warehouse facilities is steeply rising to meet consumer demands, keep workers safe and save money,” says Craig Casey, vice president, and manufacturing director at Burns & McDonnell. “David’s deep understanding of facility operations, automation technology, and intelligent warehouse logistics and materials handling bolsters our experienced team’s ability to deliver holistic solutions for our clients nationwide.” Most recently, Campbell led teams of professionals executing hundreds of large-scale materials handling projects for more than 60 clients in 14 different markets. He has extensive experience successfully designing and implementing automation technologies in manufacturing and distribution facilities, as well as directing and managing manufacturing plant operations. “The combination of evolving consumer demands, supply chain bottlenecks, and labor shortages has significantly increased the need for robotics and automation throughout the past decade,” Campbell says. “I’m excited to be a part of a truly integrated team of designers and builders developing solutions for complex, multi-temp, e-commerce facilities, helping manufacturers prevent disruptions and deliver high-quality products to consumers efficiently.” Burns & McDonnell ranks No. 6 among the Top 100 Design Firms in the U.S., No. 6 in Manufacturing and No. 2 in Food and Beverage, according to Engineering News-Record.
Four tips for Optimizing Wireless Automated material handling operations
Automation has become an irreversible trend, especially as the pandemic has affected industries around the world. This trend presents companies with both new opportunities as well as challenges. While e-commerce is on the rise, it has also led to increased pressure on logistics and rising raw material demand as economies recover and labor shortages worsen. These events have propelled the need for automation into the global spotlight and have driven the demand for automated material handling (AMH) systems. With reduced costs and increased capabilities, wireless AMH systems have provided companies with significant gains in productivity and efficiency. However, the complexity of maintenance and the risk of operational downtime is a major concern for companies. Unreliable wireless communication is one of the biggest nightmares for any wireless AMH deployment as unstable wireless signals can easily disrupt operations. Companies often rely on the system vendors for maintenance services, which is another expense and can result in longer downtimes. In this article, we are providing several tips to shed some of these worries by helping you take control of the invisible network communications of your AMH systems. Being able to manage and troubleshoot your wireless network efficiently maximizes the uptime of your AMH systems and makes your business more competitive. Visualize Your Network to See the Full Picture You can’t manage what you can’t see. In AMH applications, the Wi-Fi connections must be able to dynamically adapt as the vehicles move around. The most challenging part of managing these wireless communications is that they are invisible and are easily affected by a lot of different factors, making it difficult to spot abnormalities. For example, when a Wi-Fi client on a moving vehicle is not roaming properly and failed to connect to the designated access point, you would often only notice the consequences –your operations are disrupted, but you don’t know why. Wireless network visibility is especially useful for critical applications in demanding operating environments where wireless equipment is easily subjected to electromagnetic interference and other disruptive factors. Having a holistic view of your wireless network lets you monitor your wireless devices in real-time to ensure your operations are running smoothly. That’s why having visualization and management software that gives you total visibility of your network is important. Being able to see the full picture lets you better understand the complete network architecture and the individual device relations. A dynamic network topology that automatically updates when changes occur is another valuable tool that enables you to view the most recent status of wireless connections at a glance. Having access to aggregated device information is also helpful in understanding the performance of your wireless devices and spotting any potential abnormalities. Set Up Alerts to Respond Faster to Problems Unexpected downtime is the last thing you want to deal with. With an early warning mechanism, you can respond faster to network anomalies before they become a real problem. By observing and analyzing your network over a period of time, you can set wireless performance thresholds. When a threshold is exceeded, for example when traffic load is 50% above normal levels, real-time alerts would notify you of the anomaly immediately. Being aware of abnormalities when they occur gives you the time to address them before they start affecting your operations. If you are unable to fix the issue yourself, real-time alerts give you that extra time to seek help from a maintenance provider. Use Historical Data for Faster Troubleshooting In the past, if a network issue was too difficult to handle, companies would call maintenance providers for help. When the support engineers arrived, they would often spend one week aggregating the event logs from the relevant devices one by one, perform time corrections, and try to reconstruct the issue. If the reconstruction was not precise, it would take several more rounds of troubleshooting to fix the issue. This whole process is both time-consuming and costly. Good network visualization software does not just show you the current status of your network, but it also offers insight into historical network performance, allowing you to better focus your troubleshooting efforts. By reviewing the history of problematic devices, you can more easily identify issues, analyze the root cause, and fix the problem at its core. Leveraging historical network and device data significantly improves your troubleshooting efficiency, instead of having to consolidate and examine individual device logs. Find the Right Tools This tip is one you should never overlook. No matter how great a tool is, chances are you will stop using it if it’s too complicated or not user-friendly. Most network management software is designed for IT staff and is not very accessible for most operational technology (OT) engineers. Finding the right software that presents the information you need clearly in an intuitive user interface is important. For instance, since automated vehicles constantly roam between different APs around the facility, having network management software that allows you to overlay the network topology on top of a floor map of the facility lets you easily locate the vehicles by just checking the client’s wireless connection. This helps you save a great deal of time when trying to identify a malfunctioning client device. Start Visualizing and Take Control of Your Wireless AMH Network For AMH facility operators, intuitive network management and visualization software is key to managing and maintaining reliable wireless networks and maximizing uptime. The Wireless add-on module for Moxa MXview network management software features dynamic topologies, roaming playback, and device performance dashboards to help save time and get the most out of wireless AMH applications. Moxa is also offering a free one-year fully functioning trial of the MXview Wireless module for customers that activate it before Dec 31, 2021.
International Robot Safety Conference agenda features top industry experts on the latest Safety Standards, Techniques, and Technologies
Virtual Conference runs Sept. 20-22, offers an in-depth overview of robot safety Top industry experts from FedEx, Universal Robots, Fetch Robotics, Ford Motor Company, Honeywell Intelligrated, Procter & Gamble, Rockwell, SICK, and more will be featured at the International Robot Safety Conference, presented by the Association for Advancing Automation (A3). The virtual event takes place September 20-22, 2021, and will examine key issues in robot safety, providing an in-depth overview of current industry standards related to industrial robot systems — whether conventional, collaborative, or mobile. Registration is open for the virtual event. The cost to access the conference is $395 for A3 members and $495 for non-members. “This is a can’t-miss event for integrators, manufacturers, and users to expand knowledge on how to safely deploy automation technology in their operations,” says A3 President Jeff Burnstein. “Coming out of the pandemic, there is a strong demand and need for automation technologies as companies are growing, and A3 is committed to prioritizing the safety of workers in these environments.” IRSC will help businesses reduce risk by ensuring personnel is familiar with robot and machine safety as well as current robot safety standards. Industry leaders will provide real-world case studies and identify best practices on how to incorporate safety into existing and new projects. Agenda highlights include: Perspectives from U.S. OSHA on industrial robot safety Introduction to the new industrial mobile robot safety standard R15.08-1 Discussion of the “whys” behind the importance of safety with robotics from Carole Franklin, A3’s Director of Standards Development for Robotics Review of the lifecycle of robots and safety: from design to integration, to using industrial robot systems Risk assessment and safety solutions The full agenda is available online. The conference is sponsored by Siemens and FORT Robotics.
AutoScheduler.AI adds experienced CTO to bring software development efforts to the next level
AutoScheduler.AI, an innovative Warehouse Management System (WMS) accelerator, announces the addition of Andrew Gibson as Chief Technology Officer to lead the company’s software development efforts to the next level. Andrew is a supply chain industry expert, formerly with Nestle, and has deep expertise in mathematics, which is the cornerstone of artificial intelligence. AutoScheduler.AI smooths operations in a warehouse by integrating seamlessly with warehouse management systems, orchestrating activities across supply chain campuses, and adding value by improving OTIF, managing inventory, and creating dynamic schedules that change as conditions shift. “We realized that at the current rate of market adoption, AutoScheduler.AI needed to bring in a leader who could help us expand our platform more quickly,” said Keith Moore, Chief Product Officer at AutoScheduler.AI. “We needed somebody with deep domain expertise as well as exposure to modern machine learning and software development practices, and Andrew fits that description very well. We’re thrilled to have him.” “AutoScheduler.AI uses advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and digital twins to transform distribution centers and warehouses with new levels of efficiency and execution,” said Andrew Gibson, CTO of AutoScheduler.AI. “I look forward to accelerating the development of this sophisticated technology to achieve the next phase of growth for the company.” Dr. Andrew Gibson spent 25 years with Nestle as an operational leader in warehousing and transportation and as a data-science leader focused on driving improvements in the supply chain, warehousing, transportation, and sales. As a consultant, he has worked with CPGs, retailers, and software companies to develop smarter, data-science-supported tools to generate clearer insights and enable better decisions across the enterprise. He has taught data science, data visualization, and supply chain analytics in an academic setting and for executive education. He graduated from the University of Manchester with a BSc in Mathematics and Management Science. He received an MBA from the London Business School at the University of London. He received a Doctor of Philosophy – Ph.D., Industrial Engineering, at the University of Arkansas.
EP 209: Capex vs. Opex with Picavi
On this episode, I was joined by the Senior Sales Manager at Picavi, Larry Olson. You may remember Picavi from last year’s MODEX where I got a demo of their pick by vision platform but if you do not they provide a picking solution that is based on the Google Glass platform. Larry and I discuss the latest from Picavi, how the technology has evolved, and also the benefits of opex vs. capex. Key Takeaways Picavi has a very futuristic solution to picking which is already a reality. When I initially learned about it I thought it was a great idea and I still think it is an incredibly practical use for the Google Glass platform which, as Larry states, was a pretty big flop on the consumer side of the market. They have been able to take this great technology and harness it for the enterprise in a very smart way. What it allows your pickers to do is see the information they need in order to make a successful pick right in front of their eyes at all times as it is projected through the glasses. This creates an almost completely hands-free picking solution that speeds up the pick time and increases accuracy as well. One of the developments for Picavi since we last spoke at MODEX 2020 has been their rollout of the vision as a service offering. This offering allows customers to essentially lease the units on a monthly basis without having to heavily invest in large amounts of hardware. I am a big fan of these types of offerings in our industry because we have a tendency to go up and down in the number of units we need on hand. This is especially true during peak seasons where we need more units but the remainder of the year we may end up with units just collecting dust. With the vision as a service model, you are able to get just the number of units you need for that point in time and then return the others when you don’t need them. It also has the advantage of quick swap-outs when a unit is damaged or not working properly which helps to maintain your capacity. Another benefit from Picavi’s vision as a service offering is the financial aspect. This is where we get into the discussion on capex vs. opex. Capex is short for capital expenditure which is a large expense that will go towards some type of asset investment with longer than a year of life. Capex will hit your balance sheet and can sometimes be difficult to get approved in the corporate environment with more hurdles to go through. In contrast, opex is short for an operational expense which is the normal operating expenses incurred by a company. Opex has the ability to be written off during tax time whereas capex needs to be capitalized so getting something approved by your company that is opex will certainly be easier than something that is capex. Listen to the episode below and leave a comment if you can see yourself using Picavi’s solution. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 209: Capex vs. Opex with Picavi
Preparing Distribution Centers for Automation Technology
Before you automate your distribution center, there are several factors you have to take into account. In this episode of MHI View, we examine some of those factors and discuss the planning process behind implementing automated solutions. Click here to view the video.
FRED Automation automates processes in the warehouse
FRED Automation Inc. has introduced the FRED and FREDDiE, which are powerful AGV that are simple to install and operate. Their niche is automating processes that move goods from Point A to Point B. The AGVs are designed to limit opportunities for downtime and are expected to deliver a payback in less than 12 months. FRED’s technology is not intimidating, and results are tangible. Compared to other AGVs, FRED and FREDDiE are remarkably easy to set up, use and maintain. Guided by easy-to-install magnetic tape so you’ll be up and running in two hours Path adjustments are even quicker and easier than initial setup Doesn’t use WiFi, GPS, or Bluetooth, so there are never any connectivity issues or hacking concerns No programming, expensive IT support, or software maintenance agreements required “FRED allows our people to use their skills and training instead of just moving product back and forth. It’s amazing that this one robot can make our team so much more efficient and productive,” said JJ Horigan the Director of Operations at Monarch Brands.
EP 205: ERP with WBSRocks
On this episode, I was joined by Sam Gupta, Principal Consultant at ElevatIQ and the Founder and host of WBSRocks. Sam is a fellow podcaster and an ERP expert which is the focus of his consulting through ElevatIQ. I was a guest on Sam’s podcast, WBSRocks, and he has now come on my show to discuss ERP and how it relates to distribution and warehousing. Key Takeaways Sam’s background is rooted in manufacturing and distribution from his family side. From this, he has a natural taking to this world, leading him to find his place in the ERP world. Along the way, he has tried some different start-ups and eventually landed in the consulting field where he helps companies implement ERP systems and guides them through different phases as well. This is the ElevatIQ side of things. Through this work, he has also created an amazing community called WBSRocks which connects individuals from all aspects of the supply chain world. ERP stands for enterprise resource planning which Sam says is really just a marketing term that can throw some people off. He advises not to think that an ERP system will solve all of your business needs as many are built for a specific purpose. Sam also discusses some of the necessary extensions to an ERP like a WMS. Often, implementations are not successful due to choosing the wrong ERP system for the goal you need to accomplish. When it comes to the implementation of any system it can be a scary time for companies because a lot is riding on these moves. Sam gives some advice on how to have a successful implementation. The one key thing is setting the correct foundation, ensuring you understand all your processes and have them documented. This is key to understanding how your new system needs to work and needs to be set up. Listen to the episode below and leave a comment with your implementation stories. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 205: ERP with WBSRocks
EP 204: ForwardX
On this episode, I was joined by Jonathan Chang of ForwardX. Jonathan is the Director of Global Expansion at ForwardX which is a China-based robotics company focused on medium-sized goods. We discuss the robotics scene in China, ForwardX’s offerings, and the impacts of the pandemic. Key Takeaways ForwardX is providing robotics solutions to not only China-based companies but also to the world with its recent launches in different countries. As Jonathan explains, their focus is on the in-between jobs that often times get lost when looking for automation solutions. What he means by this are the jobs that lead up to picking or are after picking. Many robotics companies are focused on the picking process which is great but we also need to focus on those other jobs that happen in the warehouse and ForwardX is trying to handle that. They are also focusing on the medium-sized goods market which is slightly underserved as many robotics companies are looking at smaller piece picking and larger pallet moving. One thing that was very interesting to me is to hear about the robotics scene in China and how quickly it is moving. We discussed how there is a very collaborative environment in the United States and how the contrast in China is a bit more competitive because of the mindset of being first to market. Jonathan explains that one thing driving this is the cultural norm of having a lot of options to choose from. He describes how typical menus in China have many options of food to order and the same is true in other companies so many robotics companies are offering several different models for operations. He also discusses how e-commerce and logistics is growing rapidly so the technology is accelerating along with it to help companies keep up. With Jonathan being based in China I was curious to know the impact of the pandemic there since it was where cases were first detected. He explains that there was an absolute shut down which really made a large impact on the supply chain as a whole across the globe as we all experienced in some way. The other thing that is interesting is that the business has not quite picked back up to where it was prior to the pandemic most likely due to other countries sourcing from other areas but internally the logistics and e-commerce business is thriving in China. Listen to the episode below and let us know your thoughts in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 204: ForwardX
EP 203: MassRobotics
On this episode, I was joined by the Executive Director of MassRobotics, Tom Ryden. MassRobotics is a non-profit that helps to accelerate the robotics industry and give a space for an upcoming robotics company to get to the next step. We discuss MassRobotic’s mission, Tom’s tips for deployment, and the new industry-changing interoperability standard. Key Takeaways MassRobotics was founded by Daniel Theobald who I spoke to previously when he was representing his company Vecna Robotics. Tom runs MassRobotics now as the Executive Director and comes from a history of working with technology companies including iRobot. MassRobotics is on a mission to help robotics companies get their start and get on the road to success. They also are focused on helping all robotics companies come together and make the industry more standardized for the greater good of users and solution providers. In Massachusetts, they have an incubator space where start-up robotics companies can come in as residence and utilize the resources to help grow their technology. Tom provides some great tips on robotics deployments for your operation which should be considered. For many, deploying robotics at this point in their first exploration into this world and it is important to understand how to be properly prepared. One big tip that Tom gives is to have a strong wireless network implemented. As he points out, robots need a strong wireless network to operate on and be able to communicate properly with each other and your systems. In many warehouses, the wireless network is not as strong as it should be and can be quite spotty which robots can not always tolerate. The big news from MassRobotics is their recent release of the interoperability standards 1.0. This is a huge help for the robotics industry and for operations that are looking to utilize multiple robotics solutions. The standards help to ensure that different robotic solutions from multiple companies can communicate with each other. This is important because many robotics companies are focusing on just one part of the process to automate and operations will be looking for solutions for all of their processes. In order to do this effectively, each solution needs to communicate with each other and the interoperability standards will help to do this. It will be exciting to see how the standards develop over the next few years. Listen to the episode below and let us know your thoughts in the comments. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 203: MassRobotics
MHS Robotics wins Robotics Innovation Award
Multi-pick end effector solution wins for pick-and-place robotics technology in logistics MHS, a single-source provider of material handling automation and software solutions, took home a 2021 RBR50 Innovation Award from Robotics Business Review for the multi-pick robotic end effector. Unlike end effectors that handle a single item at a time, the multi-pick robotic end effector from MHS Robotics can pick up and hold up to 36 items simultaneously and pack four orders at a time into four separate shipping boxes. The technology was originally developed for a distribution and fulfillment project packing e-commerce orders. Working as part of a goods-to-robot order fulfillment workflow, the solution offers a throughput rate of up to 90,000 pieces picked and 42,000 orders fulfilled per day. This capability makes it a strong fit for distribution and fulfillment operations with large amounts of multi-item orders to fulfill, such as multi-packs of consumer goods, office supplies, and more. “Logistics processes are under pressure to meet faster service levels and overcome labor challenges,” says Dean Terrell, senior vice president, research and development, MHS. “With robotic solutions like the multi-pick end-effector, we partner with customers to engineer automated solutions ready to integrate seamlessly and meet real-world challenges, like reducing dependence on a shaky labor pool or boosting output.” The multi-pick end-effector is one of several pick-and-place robotic products the company currently offers, each designed to fit seamlessly into existing sortation and order fulfillment workflows in distribution centers. MHS Robotics also offers autonomous mobile robot solutions, including options like detachable carts, robotic arms, and conveyor supplements to handle specific requirements like large and irregularly shaped items. The multi-pick robotic solution relies on computer vision and advanced artificial intelligence to manage incoming order requirements and use the 36 individual graspers to buffer and ultimately pick and pack orders. MHS Robotics develops advanced technologies in-house and in collaboration with the University of Louisville Speed Industry Research and Innovation team and the Louisville Automation and Robotics Institute. The company also engages a range of independent robotics suppliers to develop and deploy robotic solutions for a range of applications.
Cisco-Eagle promotes Cameron Wilson to Oklahoma Sales Director
Cisco-Eagle has promoted Cameron Wilson to Oklahoma Director of Sales according to James Murphy, Vice-President of Sales. Wilson, who has worked as an account executive in Oklahoma City since 2018, will be responsible for maintaining and growing the market and customer base in Oklahoma in our Tulsa and Oklahoma City offices in his new role. Wilson is a 2016 Friends University in Kansas in Marketing. He joined Cisco-Eagle the same year in a digital marketing role, where he managed products on the Cisco-Eagle website and contributed to digital marketing efforts and strategies. “Cameron is an exceptional employee-owner, and he proved that in both his marketing and sales roles. I’m confident that he will help our Oklahoma sales group continue to thrive as we move ahead,” said Vice President of Sales James Murphy. “His deep understanding of our systems and processes and work in multiple roles gives him a unique perspective that will help him serve our customers better than ever before.”
Seegrid CEO dedicates Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2021 East Central Award to company founder Hans Moravec
Autonomous mobile robot provider attributes win to collective team with a passion for creating a better future Seegrid Corporation, the provider in autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) for material handling, announced that Jim Rock, Seegrid’s chief executive officer, dedicated his 2021 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year East Central Award to Seegrid founder and chief scientist, Hans Moravec. Ernst & Young announced Rock as an award winner for the East Central region last week based on the program’s evaluation criteria that include entrepreneurial leadership, talent management, financial performance, societal impact, values, originality, innovation, and future plans. “Hans’ lifelong passion for creating intelligent machines that help humanity is the cornerstone of Seegrid’s purpose,” said Rock. “His decisive moments, innovative risk-taking, and dedication to elevating human potential continue to inspire Seegrid’s culture and accomplishments.” World-renowned roboticist Moravec spent decades perfecting innovative approaches to robot perception and navigation at Stanford University and Carnegie Mellon University. Moravec founded Seegrid in 2003, and now the company has grown to encompass more than 350 diverse individuals who are collectively dedicated to building upon Moravec’s lifelong goal of elevating human potential through next-generation autonomous mobile robots and enterprise software. The company operates with a culture that promotes working and winning together which reflects the team’s collective years of hard work, dedication, and persistence. The Ernst & Young award follows a year of fast-tracked growth for Seegrid. The company recently announced multiple new products, including the Palion Tow Tractor, Palion Pallet Truck, Palion Lift AMR, and Fleet Geek™ analytics software. Seegrid continues to advance its artificial intelligence technology which is built on Moravec’s breakthrough vision-based technology, allowing Palion AMRs to see, understand, and learn. With a visionary mindset, Seegrid remains committed to delivering solutions that transform the world’s supply chain, autonomously moving material as safely, effectively, and efficiently as possible. The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year program honors unstoppable business leaders whose ambition, ingenuity, and courage in the face of adversity help catapult society from the now to next and beyond. As a regional award winner, Rock is eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards, which will be announced on November 13, 2021. The Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner will then move on to compete for the EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year™ Award in June 2022. “Seegrid has an entire team of unstoppable entrepreneurs who demonstrate excellence and extraordinary success in propelling Seegrid forward every day,” said Rock. “This award puts a spotlight on our team’s unique ability to automate material flow safely, productively, for better outcomes for our customers, the community, and the global supply chain. We continue to thoughtfully look forward to the future and how we can advance automated material handling.”
KION Group starts research project ARIBIC: creating high-resolution digital twins of warehouses
Project partners KION Group, LeddarTech, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and the STARS Lab at the University of Toronto develop intelligent indoor cartography ARIBIC is funded by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) Project scheduled for completion in the fourth quarter of 2023 The KION Group and its cooperating partners LeddarTech, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), and the STARS Lab at the University of Toronto have started the research project “ARIBIC”. The acronym stands for “Artificial Intelligence-Based Indoor Cartography”: continuous data evaluation shall make it possible to create a real-time digital twin of a warehouse or a production environment. This is a further step in order to enhance already existing digital twin solutions as well as simulation and emulation platforms of KION Group. German and Canadian government agencies are convinced of the project’s potential and provided research budgets. The research project is one of several cooperations KION Group has already started with different partners. Automated guided vehicles are already being used on a large scale in warehouses and production facilities today. With modern sensor technology such as laser scanners and cameras, they find their way safely through racks, production lines, and warehouses. In the process, they continuously generate a considerable amount of data about the environment in which they move. However, this data is usually not yet systematically processed and lies fallow. What if the full potential of these bits and bytes could be exploited? Creating a digital twin of a warehouse Systematic data processing is precisely where the ARIBIC digitization project implemented by STILL, a KION Group subsidiary supplying industrial trucks and related services, comes in. “The data collected by the sensors on the vehicles are used to create high-quality, high-resolution 3D maps of warehouses or production facilities. The objective is to create a digital twin of the environment, thus enabling relevant information to be displayed and shared in real-time,” says Dr. Henry Puhl, Chief Technology Officer of the KION Group. “Today, many industrial companies apply so-called post-digitization of their production environments and warehouses. However, this only captures a snapshot. The research results of the ARIBIC project go further by enabling continuous data evaluation,” adds Dr. Joachim Tödter, Senior Director Technology & Innovation at the KION Group. The data generated by the sensor system is sent to the vehicle, processed there, and sent to the ARIBIC cloud platform. The sensor data is then processed further in the cloud. The advantages of this solution are obvious: firstly, the user receives live information about object locations via tracking & tracing. This information makes it possible, for example, to simulate the routes of vehicles and thus optimize processes in the warehouse and production. At the same time, intelligent digital services offer the advantage that anomalies such as a blocked route are detected and reported. The consistent evaluation of the data shall ultimately lead to a warehouse’s entire structure being optimized and adapted. “KION is already in a position to implement such techniques: ARIBIC provides important progress in adding computational perception capabilities. Those leverage edge intelligence and open the door to many applications ranging from more efficient design of flexible automation and mobile robotic operations for the warehouse of tomorrow to inspection and detection of warehouse material placement and distribution that is critical to workflow optimization for many logistics operations” says Hamid Montazeri, Senior Vice President, Software & Digital Solutions Development at Dematic, a KION Group subsidiary offering supply chain solutions and related services. Project partner LeddarTech with strong expertise in sensing The idea for the research project originated in the summer of 2019 in the Technology & Innovation department of KION Group. In preparing the funding application, cross-border partners from industry and research were recruited: LeddarTech, a leading company in environmental sensing solutions for autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems headquartered in the Canadian province of Québec is significantly involved in the project. The contribution of LeddarTech to the project will be centered around the sensor system, which leverages their technological expertise in sensing, perception, and sensor fusion for mobility applications. “When KION approached us and explained their vision for ARIBIC, it was clear from the beginning that we had to be part of this project,” said LeddarTech’s Chief Technology Officer, Pierre Olivier. “Not only does it allow us to collaborate with an industry leader as well as with two renowned labs, it also represents a perfect opportunity to leverage LeddarTech’s strong expertise in sensing, in integrating sensing platforms on vehicles, and in maximizing the potential from the available sensor data,” added Mr. Olivier. Strong cooperation between industry and science Research partners are the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) and the STARS Lab at the University of Toronto, both leading institutes in artificial intelligence and robotics. As part of the ARIBIC project, the STARS Lab will develop methods to extract detailed semantic information (object labels) from large 3D maps of warehouse environments. “ARIBIC is a perfect project for us to collaborate on current research topics with international partners and to establish new industry relationships”, says Prof. Jonathan Kelly, head of the STARS Lab. The Department of Robotics and Interactive Systems of the Institute of Materials Handling and Logistics Systems (IFL) at the KIT researches future-oriented robotics solutions with practical benefits for its users. The field of research includes topics such as mapping and localization of mobile robots, computer vision, automated grasping and placing of various articles, and the development of intuitive human-machine interaction. Within the ARIBIC Project, the IFL focuses on the detection of intralogistics elements in 3D sensor data, as well as the merging of maps in multi-robot scenarios. “We are very much looking forward to the opportunity for international cooperation”, states Prof. Kai Furmans, head of IFL. At the beginning of 2021, the project was approved by the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), and
EP 199: Ohmnilabs
On this episode, I was joined by Aaron Campbell of Ohmnilabs. Aaron is the Strategic Partnerships Lead at Ohmnilabs where they have developed some robotics products with their flagship being their teleconference robot. We discuss their offerings, how the idea developed and what the future of their robotics offering might be. Key Takeaways The main product for Ohmnilabs is their teleconferencing robot which is essentially a robot with a video screen and camera on top of it. Seems simple and maybe similar to just having a video conferencing setup in a conference room but where Ohmnilabs takes it to the next level is that the video conferencing becomes mobile and you can control it. The robot base is small but very nimble so that it can easily be navigated around an area with the video conferencing platform on top of it. You can see what the robot is seeing and your video will actually be displayed on the robot’s screen like you are the robot. I think this is really the next level because it gives you so much more flexibility in being able to really visualize something that is going on. When it comes to the supply chain it gives you an easy way to be in different buildings when needed without having to hop on a plane. A huge time savings and cost savings when you are looking at reducing the amount of travel needed. The Ohmnilabs robot is also a great tool for those teams that are remote and do not have a presence in certain buildings. For example, you may not have IT on-site and this gives them the ability to go check out something that is not working properly without having to go back and forth through emails asking what something looks like. The future of Ohmnilabs seems to be the autonomy of the robot. Currently, the robot needs to be controlled by the user but in the future, there is the opportunity for the robot to have scheduled paths. From my perspective, if this can be paired with some type of computer vision to detect when things are out of place you could essentially automate your GEMBA walks and your security rounds. Either way, I think this technology is getting us closer to having a better presence at all of our sites. Listen to the episode below and check out the demo I got with the robot in the video. The New Warehouse Podcast EP 199: Ohmnilabs