ROBOTICS
information from the wider warehouse data system and beams a number onto each package that correlates with its intended chute. Instead of having to laboriously read each label, scan it using a sweaty glove and determine the correct chute – employees can quickly and easily take packages to the right destination. The Flow Projector has proven transformative. At one customer, it was discovered that employees would clock in five minutes early just to ensure they worked at a Flow Projector equipped chute. Many users gamified their work, choosing to only pick a certain projected number or entering friendly competition with coworkers. It was easier to train new employees too, especially those that spoke other languages. The performance of new starts and employees was also improved, with the customer reporting less mistakes and up to 40 per cent more parcels processed daily.
THE DROIDS WE’RE LOOKING FOR Robots have liberated people from the strenuous work of moving parcels around the warehouse. For example, Prime Vision robots can carry up to a 2- metre square parcel weighing more than 30 kg. Fast, accurate, efficient and autonomous, robots have allowed all levels of consumer demand to be met without placing undue strain on warehouse employees. These capabilities have freed up
UKManufacturing Autumn 2024
workers to graduate from manual labour and take advantage of new and exciting career opportunities. Prime Vision operates over 1,000 robots across 53 sites in the US, as well as additional fleets in Europe. Other than the efficiency improvements, what is most striking about these facilities is the strong relationships between people and robots. Many customers name their robots, some even immortalising the employee of the month on the chassis. A team at one facility referred to the fleet as their ‘babies’. This affection is because instead of walking kilometres with heavy parcels, warehouse workers are now engaging in the exciting field of managing the robot fleet. Carrying out cleaning, maintenance, planning, battery replacement and changeovers has ensured that employees have developed a duty of care towards them. Inarguably, this illustrates how robotics has enriched warehouse work, and that people are happy about it.
THE FUTURE IS AN IMPLEMENTATION GAME
Instead of AI and robotics rendering us obsolete, the future will instead involve coexisting with these technologies for more fulfilling work. The variation of goods and volumes in sectors such as e- commerce means that the dark warehouse is not yet attainable. However, to achieve successful
future collaboration means sensitively implementing these technologies into the workplace. The first step is the safe design of areas where AI, robots and humans can collaborate. This is very much at customer discretion and must be conducted within the boundaries of local legislation. Whether that is to create rules to allow safe intervention by humans, or segregating areas between humans and machines – either is a valid approach to make people feel comfortable. As familiarity grows and the efficiency benefits manifest, employees become more accepting of new technologies. The future of warehouse logistics is likely be a symphony of autonomous forklifts, robots, drones and computer vision technologies conducted by AI and overseen by humans. Realising this will not be straightforward. Arguably the biggest challenge will be implementing these technologies within brownfield warehouse environments. Here, vendor agnostic automation experts like Prime Vision will be key to widespread adoption, seamlessly integrating solutions with existing sorting infrastructure to smoothen the transition. Following the recent successes of AI and robotics in improving job satisfaction and staff retention rates, warehouse operators and employees both have reasons to stick around in future.
Prime Vision
primevision.com
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