Problem
The accelerated rise of e-commerce and new challenges posed by the global pandemic have fueled intense interest in the capabilities that AI and robotics-enabled automation can provide for building operational resilience.
DHL needs to test and validate new innovations in logistics automation before deploying any new solution or workflow process within their regional logistics hubs and distribution centers.
Solution
DHL created the Asia Pacific Innovation Center in Singapore as a home for new exhibits that showcase a cutting-edge, automated, and completely integrated e-commerce solution. At the Asia Pacific Innovation Center, Geek+ announced a collaboration with DHL to exhibit some of the latest innovations from Geek+.
Named the “Warehouse of the Future”, the exhibit integrates RoboShuttle® tote-picking robot and robot-arm technology for full-scale automation. The project represents the shared values and commitments of both Geek+ and DHL to accelerate innovation and educate supply chain leaders on the opportunities that come with robotics automation.
Results
Hongbo Li, CTO at Geek+, says: “This project not only marks a new milestone for the logistics and supply chain industry but a milestone in the global relationship between Geek+ and DHL that follows a number of successful robot deployments in several of DHLs’ warehouses in Asia-Pacific. DHL’s Innovation Center will provide an exclusive look at how robotics are already powering the industry’s most efficient warehouses, proving to decision-makers that the future of automation is here today.”
YingChuan Huang, Innovation Manager, Asia Pacific Innovation Center at DHL, says: “Customer-centric innovation has a very important place in DHL and we drive this through close partnerships with leading companies in technology, startups, industry thinkers, and of course our customers. The Geek+ exhibit is the perfect showcase of how technologies such as AI, Computer Visioning and Robotics are not only converging, but also building off the strengths of each technology to provide even greater value to our customers’ supply chains.”
The Innovation Center displays Geek+ RoboShuttle tote-picking robot built on AMR technology, working with OSARO’s collaborative robot arm to provide fully automated logistics processes. The solution supports both outbound and inbound logistics operations. For order fulfillment, the RoboShuttle autonomously finds the tote containing ordered items, picks the tote, and carries it to a picking station using its fork arms. Once at the picking station, the robot arm picks items from the tote, packs the order, and prepares it for outbound delivery. The operational performance is displayed on dashboards throughout the entire process, providing visitors with the information needed to view in real-time the improvements that robotics automation can bring to the world of logistics in terms of efficiency, accuracy, and flexibility.