ABB Robotics & Discrete Automation has introduced two functional modules using artificial intelligence in its Item Picking family. The Fashion Inductor and Parcel Inductor both use the company’s vision technology, which has been tested by leading fashion retail and logistics companies.
With these new modules, ABB said it’s targeting two critical logistics processes: item picking and sorter induction.
“With the growth of e-commerce set to drive increased parcel volumes of up to 9% per year, there is a need for greater levels of speed and accuracy in picking and inducting unknown random items,” said Craig McDonnell, managing director for business-line industries at ABB Robotics.
“At the same time, companies are finding it harder to recruit people to perform these repetitive and non-ergonomic tasks, with 37% of global supply chain and logistics businesses experiencing significant workforce shortages,” he continued. “The expansion of our AI-powered item picking family addresses these challenges and enables companies to increase throughput and productivity, while reducing errors through the end-to-end automation of their processes.”
ABB is one of the world’s leading robotics and machine automation suppliers. The Zurich, Switzerland-based company‘s integrated portfolio includes robotic arms, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), and machine automation. Its robots are currently at work in a variety of sectors, including automotive, electronics, and logistics.
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Functional modules speed up induction and returns
ABB said that by handling items at higher accuracy and speed levels, the functional modules address the problems of picking and inducting through a mix of packages and other items in warehouses and parcel-sorting depots.
Both the Robotic Fashion Inductor and Robotic Parcel Inductor use AI-based vision to handle unknown and randomly arranged items in unstructured environments. This ensures seamless processing in high-throughput, high-mix logistics operations, the company claimed.
Both functional modules deliver a picking accuracy of over 99.5%, even in highly dynamic environments where item sizes, shapes, and packaging types vary daily. The AI system can also be trained to detect and reject non-inducible items, such as spherical or cylindrical products, This ensures reliable and efficient operations, said ABB.
In addition to order processing, the modules’ ability to handle unexpected objects allows them to handle returns that cannot be predicted by time, type, or date.
The Robotic Fashion Inductor enables singulation and sorter induction for polybagged apparel and accessories items at speeds of up to 1,300 picks per hour, ABB said.
On the other hand, the company built the Robotic Parcel Inductor for small parcel singulation and sorter induction. It can process boxes, bags, envelopes, and packages at up to 1,500 picks per hour in post and parcel logistics centers.
ABB aims for quick setup and integration
ABB Robotics has integrated the picking modules with motion-planning software for collision-free automatic path planning once each item has been identified by the AI vision system.
Designed for rapid deployment, both functional modules come pre-integrated, minimizing commissioning time, operational errors, and setup complexity. ABB said commissioning is possible in as little as one week.
ABB added that its Application Controller Platform (ACP) can integrate components including robots, grippers, and cameras through a single computer and user interface.
As a single-source supplier, ABB said it provides end-to-end support, from dedicated application software and robotic hardware to global after-sales service for seamless implementation and ongoing reliability.
