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Tag: robotics

Retailer Deploys over 100 Automated Mobile Robots

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a global AMR leader, is pleased to announce that Catch.com.au, one of Australia’s leading online retailers, will adopt more than 100 robots through its global integrating partner Körber, bringing new opportunities for the e-commerce marketplace in Australia and New Zealand.

In the past year, Catch.com.au has seen its already rapidly growing business expand with thousands of additional SKUs being added to its already extensive range of brands and products. With a rapidly growing customer base and the prevalence of COVID-19 driving more and more consumers online, the company has been looking for a solution that would allow them to flexibly scale in line with business growth and continue to increase and improve their product and service offering.

Lit Fung, VP and Managing Director of Geek+ APAC, UK and Americas, says: “We are very pleased to see our robots provide Catch.com.au with the flexibility, adaptability, and precision needed to adjust and grow in today’s volatile marketplace. We believe our global partnership with Körber will continue to generate opportunities for us to support companies worldwide with technologies that can streamline operations and promote collaborations for transforming the global supply chain.”

In November, more than 100 Geek+ AMRs will operate 3785 sqm of allocated space within Catch.com.au’s 30,000 sqm facility. By supporting them with the ability to pick an additional 2,000 orders per hour, Catch.com.au will be able to manage an additional 80,000 SKUs over and above its existing range and move one step closer to its aim of offering same-day delivery. “This investment is a significant step for Catch.com.au in its move to offer faster and more convenient fulfilment options for its increasing customer base. We are excited to see where this technology deployment takes us and to seek out further opportunities where we can utilise this kind of agile and flexible technology,” Richard Whetton, Head of Fulfilment at Catch.com.au said.

Geek+ and Körber recently announced a global strategic partnership to provide businesses with smart AMR solutions worldwide. “This partnership is an extension of the success that Körber and Geek+ have had in the Asia Pacific region and will see the innovative AMR solution reach new markets,” Nishan Wijemanne, Managing Director of Körber Supply Chain Asia Pacific and global leader for AMR Solutions at Körber said.

The integration of Geek+ robots in Catch.com.au’s DC is the second step of a successful collaboration that aims to provide businesses worldwide with technology for meeting changes in demand, quickly scale in line with business growth, and provide customers with better products and service capabilities, building resilience through flexibility.

Geek+ is a global technology company leading the intelligent logistics revolution. We apply advanced robotics and AI technologies to realize flexible, reliable, and highly efficient solutions for warehouses and supply chain management. Geek+ counts 300 global customers and has deployed more than 10,000 robots worldwide. Founded in 2015, Geek+ has over 800 employees and is headquartered in Beijing, with offices in Germany, the UK, the US, Japan, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

MoU to Develop joint Smart Sports Logistics Lab

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, a leading AI and robotics solutions provider for logistics, and Decathlon China, one of the world’s largest retailers of sporting goods, are pleased to announce that on November 6th, the two industry leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development of a joint Smart Sports Logistics Lab. The MoU was signed by Yong Zheng, founder and CEO of Geek+ and Bruno Thellier, Transformation Leader at Decathlon during an official ceremony at the China International Import Expo, China’s premier event and largest trade fair.

Under the MoU, Geek+ and Decathlon will jointly explore applying new robotics and software technologies to the supply chain, setting a benchmark for the environmental-friendly and sustainable smart future of the sports retail industry. Geek+ will contribute its newest AMR, AI algorithm, and software, while Decathlon China will focus on strategic supply chain innovation design and land innovative initiatives on its global operational scenarios. Both parties will also invite ecosystem partners, including but not limited to players in software, IoT, 5G sectors, to join the group of innovation and work together to build a global dynamic engine to drive the fast and sustainable industry evolution.

Geek+ founder and CEO, Yong Zheng commented “Decathlon and Geek+ are like-minded partners. We are impressed by their determination to innovate, their vision, and decisive actions, which have made Decathlon an industry leader in supply chain innovation. We’re excited that Geek+ will continue to empower Decathlon in their high-growth future.”

Transformation Leader at Decathlon: Bruno Thellier commented “Technology changes the world, Geek+ and Decathlon are collaborating together in all of our logistics parks in China and we have already achieved game-changing in the sport retails logistics.

Today with Geek+ we are creating the first construction block of an open ecosystem and we believe that LAB will empower our enterprises, will stimulate more market vitality, and will allow more added values in the sports retail industry thanks to the technology. ”

Decathlon, a pioneer in applying RFID technology in retail, has taken an early lead among global retailers in adopting intelligent automation solutions. Geek+ and Decathlon have collaborated in numerous sites in the past three years, including implementing new remote deployments at the height of the Covid19 pandemic, accelerating Decathlon’s automation program. To date, Decathlon has completed the picking automation of all its China warehouses and kicked off the replications of proven-successful solutions to its global warehouses. The robotics warehouses powered by Geek+ have enabled Decathlon to triple the average productivity of labor with an ROI of under three years.

Socially Distanced Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

The top priority for warehouse managers is to keep their associates safe while running their operations. Automation and robotics specialist 6 River Systems has devoted a team to focus solely on post-Covid recommendations, updates and features to improve worker safety.

With the snappily-named ‘Chuck’, 6 River Systems (6RS) says it can double or triple the productivity of warehouse associates—at half the cost of traditional automation and without requiring any new infrastructure or change to warehouse layout. “Chuck is the most configurable collaborative robot in the industry, with which it’s easy to increase throughput, accelerate new hire training,
reduce associate walking, and delight customers,” says Simon Jones, Head of Sales UK and Ireland. The solution goes beyond collaborative robots to increase efficiency across entire warehouse
operations, enabling productivity gains in picking, packing, sorting, and replenishment as well as actionable insights through real-time data.

Simon Jones claims that customers already using Chucks for automation have an advantage in the fight against Covid-19 compared to traditional cart pick operations. “They are more efficient and require fewer associates in the building than manual operations to get the same throughput,” he says. “Distributing pickers across the picking area is a fundamental characteristic of the solution, and pinch points where employees tend to have to congregate, like tote pick up and offload are eliminated, “ Jones adds. “While this is a great start, our goal is to deliver even more ways to increase associate safety at our customers’ operations.”

The biggest challenge is that each warehouse operation is unique and not every solution works for every site. Likewise, designing solutions during the Covid-19 pandemic is a balance between safety, efficiency, current site design and demand. “Rather than offering a one-size-fits all solution, we have compiled a list of recommendations to review and implement in partnership with each
customer site,” he adds. “Although health and hygiene recommendations differ from operation to operation, we are recommending that all associates wear protective gloves and a mask. Chuck is designed with large, easy to clean and robust action and pause buttons and lights, reducing interactions with touchscreens. The touchscreens are compatible with styluses and with a wide variety of gloves, which helps prevent cross-associate contamination.” Read the whole story here: https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=5f3d1fcf3160d#44

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Geek+ Launches new Online Customer Experience

Posted on by David Priestman

Geek+, an AMR leader has announced the launch of its new next-generation Virtual Booth. The virtual space allows visitors to experience robotics automation in a dynamic digital environment and provides them with the tools to make informed decisions on automation.

In light of Covid-19 and the prevalence of social distancing needs, large parts of the physical world have moved online. The Virtual Booth is the latest effort in a series of actions undertaken by Geek+, such as fully remote project implementations, online trainings and virtual seminars. This enables the company to continue driving the discussion on AI and robotics and enable customers to secure business continuity.

Hong Yu, Chief Marketing Officer at Geek+ comments: “As robotics and automation pioneers, we pride ourselves on being solutions-oriented. We can flexibly adjust to any challenge that lies ahead. We’ve created this digital space to provide a dynamic, fun, and interactive way of learning about our products. It gives our visitors access to the technologies that will bring much-needed stability and value to their logistics operations. In times of great change and uncertainty, innovation does not stop. It is our duty to help our audience access it.”

Upon entering the virtual booth, visitors can access an interactive online application called Your Project Designer. This provides a customized automation solution based on customers’ own business needs. The virtual booth is organized around the four main logistics challenges of today: efficiency, flexibility, profitability, and human resources. The stand allows visitors to safely and dynamically learn about the benefits of AI and robotics. It can also help users discover how it can impact their business operations.

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Modern Floors and Robotics

Posted on by David Priestman

As technologies in warehouse automation advance, so too do the flooring standards required for cost-effective and safe operations. Warehouse flooring expert Kevin Dare tells us why it’s vital to get the floor right first time, every time.

As a consortium of flooring specialists, the CoGri Group’s services provide design, testing, construction and upgrading of warehouse and fulfilment floors around the globe, ready for the robotics revolution. “We had anticipated the early adoption of automated warehouse operations for ecommerce as soon as the first viable and affordable robotics were introduced,” says Kevin Dare, MD of the CoGri Group. “But the wide-reaching effects of Covid-19 have changed the ballpark from one of ‘should-have’ to ‘must-have’ for eeommerce businesses internationally.”

He says that social distancing in day-to-day working practices is key to the new mix. “Until an effective coronavirus vaccine is introduced, human contact must be controlled, both in manufacturing and fulfilment. Not only that, but consumer demand has changed, with the ‘Amazon effect’ becoming an accepted norm for many. This makes next-day delivery for internet purchases a real necessity.”

Automated warehouses are where the incredible, ever-advancing world of robotics appears to have met its true purpose, he says. “These are really exciting times we are living in. There are now technological advancements such as swarm robots, where robots make their own decisions yet work together as a team to prevent gridlock and collisions. They do this by using sensors to communicate with their neighbours, to determine whether nearby spaces within the warehouses are vacant or occupied. These are game changers for both manufacturing and warehousing as they adopt even more technologically advanced robotics. It has, and will, reduce human workers’ idle time considerably as they work alongside each other,” he predicts.

He is a fan of the increasingly prevalent human-machine collaboration model. “Companies such as Amazon, one of our customers, are already ahead in the collaboration between robots and
humans. They have recognised that the two can work together, as opposed to one replacing the other, to produce a slick, economical process which picks, sorts, transports and stores packages.
It will be so interesting to see how this will develop in the very near future.”

Read the whole article from our September issue here:

https://flickread.com/edition/html/index.php?pdf=5f3d1fcf3160d#20

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