FEATURE Automated warehousing


Humanoid robots in warehouses?


A


utomation has existed in some form in warehouses for decades, all part of the pursuit of greater productivity


and effi ciency, and making better use of expensive space. In recent years, robotics systems able to fulfi l increasingly complex tasks have become more commonplace, representing an important shift in the development of next-generation warehouses. A next step now being proposed by some companies is the development of robots that not only carry out a variety of tasks, but are deliberately designed to look and operate like people. These humanoid robots incorporate features such as dextrous fi ngers and an ability to transport heavy boxes around the warehouse. The innovation that goes into creating these machines is undoubtedly impressive, but their development raises some important questions. Are humanoid robots the future, or do their less- anthropomorphic counterparts actually have greater potential to make the warehouse safer and more effi cient?


Rise of the machines


As a species, we’ve long been curious about the possibility of robots that can behave, talk and experience human- attributed emotions. Science fi ction is full of them: some are benign and loveable (think C-3PO) whereas others have much more sinister motives (think The Terminator). Whilst we’re still a long way from


22 February 2024 | Automation


Simon Jones, UK Sales Executive at Exotec, asks if humanoid robots in warehouses is a short-lived gimmick or vision of the future


producing sentient robots, the physical characteristics of some designs are already resembling our own. Startups such as Boston Dynamics, Apptronik and Figure have either developed or are in the process of developing humanoid robots that could be used in warehouse environments. Apptronik’s Apollo robot, for example, is 172cm tall, weighs 72.5kg and can lift objects weighing up to 25kg. Such technology is still in its infancy and has not yet been fully commercialised, but a report by Goldman Sachs has predicted the market could exceed $6bn in the next 10-15 years.


Clearly there’s plenty of promise to this technology and it will have uses in a range of diff erent industries, but I’m not fully convinced these robots will supersede non- humanoid designs that are already highly specifi c to warehouse work.


Established art Robots are already a common sight in many warehouses, with systems built for function and effi cacy rather than aesthetics, and are produced without requiring additional time or money. Automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), for example, are already able to do what humanoid robots are trying to achieve, and they can do it faster and in much less space. Such a system can autonomously navigate a warehouse fl oor and can safely retrieve boxes or


totes from shelves several metres above the ground. These can be combined with other machinery like articulated robotic arms for picking and packing products. Crucially, these systems are underpinned by advanced software that plans, guides and analyses their every move, ensuring consistently high performance. A robot that looks like a human, on the other hand, will likely possess many of the same limitations that we do as people when it comes to warehouse work, especially when the technology is in its infancy.


A bit less human Robotics are already a feature of the warehouse and will certainly remain so in the future, but it seems unlikely they’ll be the types we’re used to seeing in our favourite science-fi ction fi lms, for the time being at least. That said, humanoid robots have major potential to make a diff erence in other industries – NASA’s Valkyrie project is a good example. And, of course, we are all waiting for a robot to do our housework! For now, though, non-humanoid robots and their accompanying software are more established as a technology, cheaper and more viable to implement, and are built to address very specifi c needs that are often beyond the reach of humans. This leaves the more complex, intricate tasks to those who do them best – us, people.


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