FEATURE COVER STORY
MEET CHUCK: THE COLLABORATIVE ROBOT THAT’S ENHANCING THE WAREHOUSE WORKFORCE
M
ore often than not, people assume that human workers are replaced
when robotic automation is implemented. There’s an alternative that can still save the company time, money and keep employees happy: collaborative mobile robots. By definition, a collaborative mobile
robot is one that works alongside and interacts with a human counterpart, as opposed to operating independently of a human. These robots offer greater flexibility compared to traditional warehouse automation solutions like conveyors, unit sorters and storage and retrieval systems. They allow workers to be more efficient and precise in their tasks. 6 River Systems (6RS) is a leader in warehouse automation by providing the world’s first and only fully collaborative mobile robotics solution, Chuck. The company introduced its solutions to the European market earlier this year. 6RS helps warehouses solve one of
their biggest barriers: fulfillment automation. In the retail industry, big players like Amazon have introduced high consumer demand for two-day, next-day and even same-day shipping, thus making it critically important to have efficient processes in place for order fulfillment. Without the assistance of a collaborative mobile robot, warehouse
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employees are left to manage picks in a much more arduous and manual process, typically with pick to cart. While pick to cart allows batches to be
created based on customised criteria to increase productivity – such as priority, order size or order cut-off time – this method is not optimized for organisation and travel throughout the warehouse. A single employee could be burdened with walking extra miles each day to fulfill orders simply because their pick path throughout the warehouse was not optimized. Beyond the distance, they are pushing a cart manually, which can weigh hundreds of kilograms, thus taking a greater physical toll on their bodies. A collaborative mobile robot like Chuck
eradicates the physical challenge of fulfillment and pick rates can improve drastically. Chuck is an autonomous mobile robot, so employees no longer need to maneuver carts on their own. Supported by 6RS’ cloud-based software, Chuck uses machine learning and artificial intelligence to optimize a walking path through the warehouse to minimise in-aisle walking, allowing associates to work faster and stay on task. The robot guides employees seamlessly throughout the warehouse without any wires or cables, and it navigates around obstacles on the floor.
SEPTEMBER 2019 | MATERIALS HANDLING & LOGISTICS
Chucks enhance and support a warehouse’s staff, optimising their time to be used on other mission critical tasks
A recent case study by 6 River Systems
found that when California-based 3PL ACT Fulfillment installed Chucks in their 40,000-square-foot warehouse, the company tripled pick rates and decreased in-aisle walking by 50 per cent with pick path optimization. Their order processing also sped up by greater than 3X. Moreover, accuracy improved with picking errors being reduced by 90 per cent. Chucks enhance and support a
warehouse’s staff, optimizing their time to be used on other mission critical tasks. The robots give simple visual cues and have easy-to-use controls so employees of all levels can complete picking tasks. Language and physical barriers are no longer a sticking point, increasing employee engagement across the workforce. Though the initial reaction to
implementing robots may be associate fear, companies can do so responsibly and with their employees in mind to create an environment of productivity, efficiency and profitability for everyone. Interested in learning more about 6 River Systems and Chuck? Visit our team during IMHX 2019 at Booth #6D242 for a live demo. Learn more at
www.6river.com.
6 River Systems
www.6river.com
/ MATERIALSHANDLINGLOGISTICS
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