IAM Robotics recently launched an automated solution to help warehouses with order fulfillment. The new solution leverages the Bolt AMR base, developed previously by the company, and adds a new workflow management system called “Meet Me” to manage the work of all of the warehouse associates and mobile robots. The new robot is called Lumabot.
IAM Robotics said its Meet Me technology coordinates humans and robots as a cohesive system, enabling warehousing, logistics, and manufacturing operations to increase productivity, mitigate operational risk, and scale without adding headcount.
The company has a new management and software development team after restructuring in late 2021 and pivoting away from its mobile manipulation and goods-to-person (P2G) platform called Swift. IAM Robotics decided to go into self-directed “stealth mode” as it pulled the entire fleet of Swift robots from the market and hired a new team of software engineers to develop the enterprise layer of software.
Mobile Robot Guide talked to IAM Robotics CEO Lance Vandenbrook about the direction of the company and its decision to focus 100% on P2G workflows.
“As consumer expectations continue to rise, every company is feeling the pressure to shorten the order fulfillment cycle and to do more with less,” said VandenBrook. “We saw a massive opportunity to put our decades of robotics experience and unique technology towards solving a real market pain point.”
Vandenbrook mentioned that members of the prior development team, who had backgrounds and interests in the development of mobile manipulation, have moved on from the company. IAM Robotics slimmed down the development team with a layoff in January 2023 as it prepared to launch Lumabot.
IAM Robotics said its Pyxis technology optimizes the order-picking process by managing the work of AMRs and human pickers as independent workflows. The company’s proprietary algorithm directs human pickers via a wearable device to meet Lumabot AMRs at the next best picking location, eliminating downtime and increasing throughput in the fulfillment process. Lumabots feature the company’s intuitive and patent-pending pick-to-light shelving, which IAM Robotics said reduces human error and improves picking accuracy.
According to VandenBrook, the new solution is being piloted in live production environments this year.
The company is projecting growth under VandenBrook, who was involved in the scaling and acquisition of Kiva Systems by Amazon in 2012. The company’s team brings hundreds of years of combined automation expertise from high-growth companies and industry leaders like FedEx Supply Chain, Blue Yonder, Honeywell, 6 River Systems, Berkshire Grey, Knapp, Amazon Robotics, Seegrid, and Symbotic.
“Our team’s grit and expertise, coupled with our innovative and proprietary technology, make us uniquely poised to revolutionize the order fulfillment industry,” said VandenBrook. “We are helping to solve a critical piece of the global supply chain puzzle. We’re moving onward and upward together, and we’re just getting started.”
To learn more about the history of IAM Robotics and the lessons learned along the way, check our recent story on The Robot Report.
