Robots named \u201cBaxter\u201d and \u201cSawyer,\u201d currently undergoing testing at DHL\u2019s Innovation Center in Troisdorf, Germany, are being \u201cshown\u201d how to handle complex warehousing tasks, such as assembly, kitting and packing. Soon, DHL plans to install copies of these machines on the floors of its storage facilities around the world.
\nAdvancements in technology have finally enabled robotics companies to build machines that can \u201clearn\u201d tasks in real time, according to DHL. Technicians can now physically guide robots through movements and procedures that they can be programmed to repeat while processing other variables.
\nDennis Niezgoda, project manager at DHL Trend Research, quipped that showing the robots a task was as easy as \u201csetting up your smartphone.\u201d Niezgoda explained that using sophisticated sensing technology ensures that the robots react to new instructions and maintain safe protocols.
\nBaxter and Sawyer \u2013 developed by Rethink Robotics, a Boston-based robotics company \u2013 start at just under US$30,000 each for the most basic package. DHL is currently testing ways to integrate cousins of these twin robots into various operational sites. The company recently purchased its first Sawyer robot and is looking at 3D printing possibilities to create specialized grippers that will make the robots more effective in warehouse management.
\nCheck out Sawyer as he\/she\/it navigates complex tasks at DHL\u2019s research center:
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\nSource: aircargoworld<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"