Robotics

DHL 'Innovation Day' Winners Introduce New Logistics Tech

December 12, 2017

At Deutsche Post-DHL’s 2017 "Innovation Day" at its Bonn, Germany, Innovation Center, the winners of a series of technology "challenges" introduced new products, including autonomous warehouse robots, an online platform for package drop-offs and an internet of things (IoT) approach to online shopping, among other new logistics offerings.

China Finds Gems in Canadian Tech as Free Trade Talks Stumble

December 12, 2017

Bloomberg

Free trade talks between Canada and China may have yet to achieve lift off. Tell that to technology sector.

Opinion: Truck Drivers Like Me Will Soon Be Replaced by Automation. You're Next.

December 5, 2017

Finn Murphy, trucker and author, Guardian contributor

I’ve been driving big trucks since shortly after my 21st birthday in 1980 and I always figured I’d be able to stay on the road until retirement. Now I’m not so sure. Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Daimler, Tesla, Uber, Ford and Toyota are all investing billions of dollars in driverless vehicles.

Ford Tests Exoskeletons for Assembly Line Workers

November 30, 2017

Supply Management

Once the purview of science fiction, exoskeletons are slowly working their way into real life. These aids are now being used on manufacturing assembly lines.

Opinion: An Autonomous Future and the Way Forward for Logistics

November 30, 2017

Bill Meahl, DHL chief commercial officer, IndustryWeek contributor

Earlier this year, the International Transport Forum (ITF) published a report on global action and legal issues pertaining to the transition to driverless trucks. While technology and innovation move at a swift pace, indeed regulatory and infrastructure changes will lag a few years behind.

Robot Makers Fill Their War Chests in Fight Against Amazon

November 28, 2017

Bloomberg

A few years ago, Amazon.com Inc. triggered a robot arms race when it purchased a company called Kiva Systems, maker of automated warehouse robots. Now its would-be rivals are landing bigger and bigger cash injections to try to compete with the e-commerce giant.

Test Drive IBM's Watson in Factory Simulation

November 22, 2017

Industryweek

The singularly defining moment in Artificial Intelligence (AI) — even bigger than when IBM's Deep Blue beat chess master Garry Kasparov — happened back in in 2011 when the unbeatable Jeopardy! Champion Ken Jennings was finally taken down by IBM's new supercomputer, Watson.

A Look at Supply Chains of the Future

November 21, 2017

SupplyChainBrain

Conversations with supply-chain executives about the innovative technologies that are already shaping the way that product is moved to market.

Opinion: The 'Amazon Effect' Creates Supply Chain Pressure

November 20, 2017

Mark Koffarnus, director of national accounts, Hyster Company

The new purported norm created by Amazon's two-day shipping hits two key groups of stakeholders — consumers and supply chain service and equipment providers — differently. How the latter respond is critically important to business success.

Rise in Warehouse Automation Fuels Fire Risk, Too

November 16, 2017

Industryweek

A robotic material handling unit zips through a global toy manufacturer's six-story distribution center. As the unit retrieves an open-top plastic container filled with freshly molded toy planes from an automatic storage and retrieval system (ASRS), sparks from a frayed electrical cable on the robot fly everywhere, igniting both the toy planes and the plastic container in which they are stored.

Robotics

The latest news, analysis, trends and tools for automation and robotics for warehousing and distribution. Today’s companies are moving goods across more suppliers, vendors and customers than ever before, and warehouses are critical points in the overall supply chain. New technologies that use cameras, radios, sensors and digital maps to find and sort merchandise are transforming the way warehouses and distribution centers operate — and allowing them to stay ahead of the competition in their industries. As these solutions continue to evolve, businesses are discovering new ways to increase efficiency and cut costs. Learn how companies around the world are improving supply-chain operations through their strategic use of automation and robotics in the warehouse.