DISTRIBUTION
Enhancing warehouse efficiency through cobots
Tim Massey, product manager at Vicon explores how warehouse operators can use motion capture technology to increase the safe use of ‘cobots’ alongside humans to increase the efficiency of facilities
they have become an increasingly important tool for manufacturing operations, helping to perform core tasks including assembly, distribution, handling raw materials and product packaging. In fact, a recent report shows a record of 2.7 million industrial robots operating in factories across the globe. Over the last few years we have seen a
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rapid acceleration of digital transformation in warehouses and factories and the implementation of smart warehouse management systems. The ultimate goal is to create an entirely autonomous warehouse - where processes are as streamlined and efficient as possible to serve an ever- growing demand for seamless logistics and faster deliveries. Robots are the key to achieving this vision,
and while we’re already seeing them in action within warehouses, there’s a growing need for a new generation of robots that are able to work seamlessly alongside humans – so-called ‘cobots’. But as robots and humans
8 NOVEMBER 2021 | ELECTRONICS TODAY
hile the use of robots in our day-to-day lives may sound like science fiction,
begin to work closer together, it’s vital to ensure the two can interact in a safe manner. So how can we ensure human safety is
placed first without restricting the efficiency gains that cobots offer?
The rise of the cobot In the past, warehouse robots have operated in caged-in areas away from human workers on the shop floor. But with cobots, we are removing any physical barriers and putting robots in spaces so they can work directly alongside their human colleagues. To date, cobots have typically been small
and lightweight machines that have used force sensors to avoid colliding with humans. The machines can also be quickly switched off in the event of accidental crashes - an obvious safety precaution that has served to help the expansion of the use of cobots. The success of these early cobots means
there’s now a growing demand for them to complete more complex or heavyweight manufacturing, logistics and material
handling tasks. But this would require larger, heavy-duty equipment that’s designed for high-volume, extremely high-accuracy and high-speed production - posing a more significant threat to the cobots’ human counterparts. Drones are a good example of this, and it’s
no surprise they are growing in popularity. While the ‘airspace’ in a warehouse is currently empty, drones can turn this space into productive areas to move inventory across the warehouse faster and more accurately than human workers can manage. Tech giants like Amazon are also trialling
the use of drones to ship products straight from the warehouse to consumers for faster delivery at a lower cost. According to Business Insider, Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drones could be expected to ship out packages directly to the customer from the warehouse in 30 minutes or less for as little as $1.00. But as the use of drones within warehouses increase - and more drones become
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