Articles tagged with "warehouse-automation"
Interact Analysis slashes its mobile robot outlook amid tariff uncertainty - The Robot Report
Interact Analysis has significantly downgraded its mobile robot market outlook, citing a combination of geopolitical, economic, and industry-specific challenges. In its May 2025 report, the firm cut the 2025 market forecast by $800 million and lowered the projected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for 2025–2030 from 26% to 21%, with the 2030 revenue forecast now at $15.6 billion. Central to this revision are the global tariffs introduced by the U.S. administration, which have disrupted supply chains and created considerable uncertainty in capital investments. This uncertainty, reflected in the Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index reaching an unprecedented high of 430 in January 2025, has led many companies to delay large-scale automation projects in warehouses. Additional factors contributing to the forecast reduction include sluggish growth in warehouse construction due to elevated costs, industrial overcapacity, and ongoing policy uncertainty. Although there are tentative signs of recovery in regions like the U.S. and Japan,
robotmobile-robotswarehouse-automationmarket-forecasttariffs-impactsupply-chainautomation-investmentNimble moves to cloud-based PTC development tools for logistics robots - The Robot Report
Nimble, a developer of AI-powered logistics robots designed for picking, packing, and handling warehouse items, is transitioning from legacy file-based design and management tools to cloud-native platforms provided by PTC Inc. Specifically, Nimble is adopting PTC’s Onshape CAD and PDM platform alongside the Arena PLM and QMS system to enhance collaboration, reduce latency, and improve reliability across its teams. This shift to connected, cloud-native development tools was made swiftly—within 60 days of evaluation—and is aimed at supporting Nimble’s scaling efforts in manufacturing and R&D for its advanced mobile manipulator robots. PTC highlights that Onshape and Arena facilitate digital transformation by enabling more agile, collaborative workflows and efficient scaling, replacing traditional file-based systems with integrated cloud solutions. Onshape offers capabilities such as CAD, simulation, and built-in product data management accessible from any web-connected device, while Arena centralizes product information and processes to accelerate product development and introduction. Founded in 2017, Nim
roboticslogistics-robotscloud-computingAI-robotswarehouse-automationPTC-Onshapeproduct-lifecycle-managementAttabotics lays off staff as robotic storage provider files for bankruptcy - The Robot Report
Attabotics Inc., a Calgary-based provider of automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS) inspired by ant colonies, has laid off most of its approximately 200 employees and filed for bankruptcy protection. Founded in 2016, the company developed hardware and AI-driven software, including its FulfillAI platform launched in March 2025, which aimed to improve warehouse fulfillment efficiency by reducing robot numbers and increasing throughput. Despite raising over $194 million in funding across multiple rounds and securing notable customers like Tesco, Attabotics struggled financially, reporting a net loss of nearly CAD 50 million ($36 million USD) in 2024 amid challenges such as rising interest rates, slower consumer spending, and project delays. The company’s financial difficulties culminated in a failed Series D funding round and a rejected $20 million bridge loan request from Export Development Canada (EDC) and the Ontario Teacher’s Fund. Attabotics’ bankruptcy filings reveal $32 million in assets, including 160 patents, against liabilities
roboticsautomated-storagewarehouse-automationAI-fulfillmentrobotic-systemssupply-chain-technologyautomated-retrieval-systemsAmazon deploys its 1 millionth robot, releases generative AI model
Amazon has reached a significant milestone by deploying its one millionth robot in its warehouses, marking 13 years of robotic integration since acquiring Kiva Systems in 2012. The latest robot was delivered to a fulfillment center in Japan, and this milestone signals that Amazon’s robotic workforce may soon equal its human workforce in its vast network of warehouses. Currently, robots assist in 75% of Amazon’s global deliveries, highlighting the extensive automation in its logistics operations. In addition to this milestone, Amazon unveiled a new generative AI model named DeepFleet, designed to optimize the coordination and routing of its warehouse robots. Developed using Amazon SageMaker and trained on proprietary warehouse and inventory data, DeepFleet is expected to boost the speed of the robotic fleet by 10%. Amazon has also advanced its robotic technology with models like the Vulcan robot, which features dual arms and tactile sensing capabilities to handle inventory more effectively. Furthermore, Amazon announced plans in October 2024 for new fulfillment centers with ten times the number of
robotswarehouse-automationgenerative-AIAmazon-roboticsAI-in-logisticsrobotic-fleet-managementautomation-technologyAmazon deploys its one millionth robot, releases generative AI model
Amazon has reached a significant milestone by deploying its one millionth robot in its warehouses, with the latest unit delivered to a fulfillment center in Japan. This achievement highlights the company's rapid expansion of warehouse automation over the past 13 years, bringing the number of robots close to matching the number of human workers in its facilities. Currently, 75% of Amazon’s global deliveries involve robotic assistance, underscoring the integral role of automation in its logistics network. In addition to this milestone, Amazon unveiled a new generative AI model called DeepFleet, designed to optimize the coordination and routing of its warehouse robots. Developed using Amazon SageMaker and trained on proprietary warehouse data, DeepFleet is expected to boost the operational speed of the robotic fleet by 10%. Amazon has also advanced its robotic technology with models like the Vulcan robot, which features dual arms and tactile sensing capabilities to handle inventory more precisely. Furthermore, Amazon is expanding its robotic workforce with new fulfillment centers designed to house ten times more robots than current facilities
roboticswarehouse-automationAmazon-robotsAI-in-roboticsgenerative-AIrobotic-fleet-managementindustrial-robotsAmazon’s 1 millionth robot powers world’s biggest mobile bot army
Amazon has reached a significant milestone by deploying its one millionth robot in a fulfillment center in Japan, solidifying its status as the world’s largest operator of mobile robotic systems with over 300 facilities utilizing such technology globally. Since beginning its robotics development in 2012 with a focus on shelf transport, Amazon now operates a diverse fleet of robots tailored to specific logistical tasks, including the Hercules platform for heavy inventory handling, the Pegasus system for sorting and routing, and Proteus, the first fully autonomous mobile robot designed to safely operate alongside human workers. The company emphasizes that robotics complements rather than replaces its workforce, supported by extensive employee upskilling programs. A key innovation accompanying this milestone is DeepFleet, a generative AI foundation model developed using Amazon’s internal logistics data and AWS tools like SageMaker. DeepFleet acts as an intelligent control layer that dynamically manages thousands of autonomous robots within high-density fulfillment centers, optimizing their movement to reduce congestion, improve throughput, and lower energy consumption. By integrating warehouse navigation
roboticsautonomous-robotswarehouse-automationAI-in-roboticsmobile-robotsAmazon-roboticsrobotic-logisticsAmazon launches new AI foundation model, deploys 1 millionth robot - The Robot Report
Amazon has reached a significant milestone by deploying its 1 millionth robot across its global fulfillment network, solidifying its position as the world’s largest operator and manufacturer of industrial mobile robots. This achievement builds on a robotics journey that began with the acquisition of Kiva Systems in 2012 and has since evolved to include advanced autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) like Proteus, Hercules, Pegasus, and Titan, capable of handling various inventory weights and tasks with precision navigation and safety around employees. Alongside this milestone, Amazon introduced DeepFleet, a generative AI foundation model designed to optimize the coordination and movement of its robotic fleet. DeepFleet acts like an intelligent traffic management system, improving robot travel times by 10%, reducing congestion, and enabling faster, more cost-effective package deliveries. This AI leverages Amazon’s extensive inventory data and AWS tools to enhance operational efficiency while supporting the company’s processing of billions of orders annually. Despite the increasing automation, Amazon emphasizes its commitment to workforce development, retraining
robotartificial-intelligenceautonomous-mobile-robotsindustrial-automationAmazon-RoboticsAI-foundation-modelwarehouse-automationHumanoid robots could soon see through walls with MIT’s imaging tech
MIT researchers have developed an advanced imaging technique called mmNorm that enables robots to see through walls and other obstructions like cardboard boxes by using millimeter wave (mmWave) signals. These signals, similar to those used in Wi-Fi, can penetrate materials such as plastic, interior walls, and cardboard, reflecting off hidden objects to allow sensors to capture detailed 3D reconstructions. In testing, mmNorm achieved a 96 percent accuracy rate in reconstructing complex objects like silverware and power drills, significantly outperforming current state-of-the-art systems that reach about 78 percent accuracy. The key innovation behind mmNorm lies in its ability to estimate the surface normal—or the direction a surface reflects signals—by leveraging the property of specularity, where mmWave signals reflect like light off a mirror. Traditional radar systems often miss such reflections when surfaces are angled away from the sensor. By incorporating this directional information into its algorithm, mmNorm produces highly accurate 3D models of hidden objects. Potential applications include
roboticsimaging-technologymillimeter-wavewarehouse-automationquality-controlMIT-research3D-reconstructionComau launches mobile robots, cobots, and exoskeletons at Automatica - The Robot Report
Comau S.p.A. introduced its new MyMR family of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) at Automatica 2025 in Munich, marking its entry into the rapidly growing intralogistics automation market. The MyMR line features three models with payload capacities of 300, 500, and 1,500 kg, designed to address challenges such as labor shortages, material handling inefficiencies, and safety concerns across manufacturing, warehousing, and logistics environments. These AMRs offer advanced capabilities including intelligent fleet management, real-time obstacle avoidance, dynamic adaptation to layout changes without requiring fixed infrastructure, and the ability to convert between AMR and automated guided vehicle (AGV) modes, enhancing operational flexibility and uptime. In addition to the MyMR AMRs, Comau unveiled the MyCo family of collaborative robots (cobots), comprising six models with payloads from 3 to 15 kg and reach between 590 and 1,300 mm. These cobots are designed for versatile applications
robotautonomous-mobile-robotscobotsindustrial-automationintralogisticswarehouse-automationhuman-machine-collaborationBlack-I Robotics wins autonomous mobile robot picking challenge
Black-I Robotics won the Chewy Autonomous Mobile Picking (CHAMP) Challenge, a competition organized by Chewy and MassRobotics to develop fully autonomous robots capable of handling large, heavy, and non-rigid items in complex warehouse environments. The challenge addressed significant difficulties in warehouse automation, such as manipulating irregularly shaped, deformable items weighing over 40 pounds, which are difficult to grasp using conventional methods. Black-I Robotics’ winning system combined a mobile base with a 6-DOF industrial arm and custom multi-modal end effectors, integrating AI-driven perception, precise object detection, and pose estimation to enable reliable grasping and navigation in tight aisles alongside live warehouse operations. Their solution demonstrated full autonomy, adaptability, and seamless integration into fulfillment workflows, earning them the $30,000 first-place prize. The CHAMP Challenge emphasized not only manipulation but also system-level integration, requiring robots to navigate narrow aisles, avoid dynamic obstacles, and place items into shipping containers with mixed contents. Twelve
roboticsautonomous-robotswarehouse-automationAI-perceptionrobotic-manipulationindustrial-robotsmobile-robotsHow Warp is introducing robots to automate its network of warehouses
Warp, founded in 2021, aims to enhance supply chain efficiency by automating workflows within its network of warehouses using robotics. While the company acknowledges it cannot automate long-haul trucking or last-mile delivery, it focuses on warehouse operations. Warp began by creating a digital twin of its Los Angeles test warehouse using computer vision and cameras, allowing experimentation with automation strategies. Initial attempts to train humanoid robots to operate pallet jacks failed, but success came from retrofitting off-the-shelf robots with additional technology. Warp integrates AI tools—including voice, text, and email—with robotics to streamline unloading, storing, and reloading freight, aiming to reduce labor needs without expanding headcount. Warp’s robotic solutions are intended to benefit its warehouse partners, who face staffing challenges and labor dissatisfaction. Although Warp does not own most warehouses in its network, it provides robotic kits to empower these partners, improving operational efficiency and reducing costs. The company recently raised $10 million in a Series A funding round led by Up
robotwarehouse-automationlogistics-technologysupply-chain-roboticsAI-in-logisticsautonomous-robotsdigital-twin-simulationAmazon launches new R&D group focused on agentic AI and robotics
robotAIroboticsAmazonR&Dwarehouse-automationagentic-AIIndustry experts share their outlook on the future of AMRs - The Robot Report
robotAMRautonomous-mobile-robotsroboticsAIwarehouse-automationmulti-vendor-solutionsAmazon debuts a warehouse robot with a sense of ‘touch’
robotwarehouse-automationforce-sensorsroboticsAmazonself-improving-technologylogisticsLocus Robotics surpasses 5B picks with its warehouse automation
Locus-Roboticswarehouse-automationmobile-robotslogisticssupply-chaintechnology-innovationrobotics-industryGet in gear for warehouse automation at the Robotics Summit & Expo
warehouse-automationroboticssupply-chainRobotics-Summiteconomic-challengeslabor-shortagesorder-fulfillment