PAL Robotics plans to launch its first large-scale pilot of its motorized RFID-reading robot in Europe during the second half of this year. The newest version of the Spanish company's StockBot will be tested for its ability to read the RFID tags attached to products, while software will identify where those tagged items are located within stores.

Robert Gordon, an economist at Northwestern University, likes to play a game he calls Find the Robot. As he goes about his everyday life - shopping, traveling through airports - he looks for machines performing tasks that humans once handled. Most of what he sees doesn't impress him.

At its core, a warehouse management system offers warehouses and distributors a tool to help improve customer service. That means knowing what you have, where you have it and how soon you can promise delivery.

By using adaptive software tools, you not only can lengthen the life of your existing WMS products, including legacy systems and systems no longer supported, you now can have all kinds of new functionality at your fingertips.

Innovation of the Year: Automating the assembly of pallets that incorporate cases of multiple dimensions leads to big savings in labor costs, a safer work environment, a streamlined D.C. operation, and better service to retail outlets. Innovator of the Year: The Liquor Control Board of Ontario; Runner-Up: Lennox Residential; Finalists: Hewlett-Packard, U.S. Marine Corps, Shared Support Services of Southeastern Ontario