Under bright fluorescent lights, only a slight whirring sound could be heard as the Swift robot turned a corner and glided down the neatly arranged aisle, packed 10 feet high with drug store items. Having sensed the correct spot, Swift \u2013 a white pillar on hidden wheels and a single quadruple-articulated mechanical arm \u2013 stopped short, rose a few feet on its column and reached out with its robot arm to swiftly but precisely grab a box of allergy medicine, using a suction cup on the tip of its \u201cfinger.\u201d Then, in one fluid motion, Swift pulled the arm back and gently placed the item in a blue bin resting in the robot\u2019s midsection.
\nThis simple distribution center pick, multiplied by millions, is the future of the US$4 trillion logistics industry \u2013 or at least it may be, after these first baby steps toward true pick-and-pack automation are mastered in the warehouse.
\nWhile robotic arms and driverless vehicles have been working for decades in many factory and warehouse environments, few other systems can do what Swift \u2013 the brainchild of Pittsburgh-based startup IAM Robotics \u2013 did with its pick of Prilosec: It fulfilled an online order without the intervention or supervision of human workers.
\nSwift represents \u201cthe next generation of pick-and-pack robots\u201d to be deployed in warehouses and distribution centers, said Andrew Wells, director of sales at IAM Robotics. \u201cYes, there are other robots out there that are autonomous and similar, however they still require human interaction.\u201d
\nThe key difference with Swift, he said, is that Swift can carry out its pick-and-pack processing completely on its own for an indefinite period due to its complex algorithms and connection via wi-fi to IAM\u2019s central processor.
\nIt\u2019s all part of the cargo industry\u2019s slow-but-steady embrace of \u201cIndustry 4.0\u201d technology, the most recent step in the evolution of materials handling and manufacturing \u2013 the others being 19th century mechanization (1.0), mass production via electricity (2.0) and automation in the late 20th century (3.0). For the current century, we have added \u201csmart\u201d technology that networks these various autonomous systems via the cloud and the \u201cinternet of things.\u201d
\nRobots, however, are just one aspect of the cyber-physical \u201cWarehouse 4.0\u201d shift. Other cutting-edge tech \u2013 such as wearable \u201caugmented reality\u201d glasses, real-time inventory software, and even indoor drones \u2013 are now working in unison to achieve the final goal of full supply chain transparency for shippers and forwarders. And it\u2019s only just beginning.
\nSource: aircargoworld<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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