inVia Robotics Enforces Social Distancing With New Software Features

​​​Warehouse automation provider inVia Robotics, ​announce​s it has added social distancing ​alerts to help warehouse managers get their staff safely back to work.

The new feature, available in the latest release of its inVia Logic software and inVia PickMate user tools, will use the inVia robots sensing capabilities to track the location of warehouse workers.

​Robots can now ​use their sensors to keep track of the space between human workers

​As retailers and warehouses reopen from the coronavirus shutdown, worker safety is paramount for warehouse management. ​Training and enforcing workforce safety rules is the new normal, and ​it can be difficult for warehouse managers to track the whereabouts of every associate throughout the course of a normal workday. 

​“We listened to our customers who are concerned about how to keep their e-commerce fulfillment running without disruption but also want to ensure safety for their people,” said Lior Elazary, co-founder and chief executive officer of inVia Robotics. “This solution can be implemented immediately and can easily be adapted to address new workplace concerns as they arise.”

​Helping companies get back to business

​Humans ​are a normal a part of the ​sensing and navigation operations as ​a robot navigates ​its workspace. What’s new in the inVia Logic and PickMate software is the capability to determine the distances between human workers and report any violations to warehouse management.

​This new capability helps businesses immediately enact safety first measures as the economy starts to cautiously reopen, and have them in place as we navigate towards a new normal which will most certainlyinclude increased e-commerce ordering

​​​Extending Existing Capabilities

With inVia Logic, customers already had access to a real-time 3-D warehouse simulation view that shows them the location of each labor point in the warehouse. That view has now been enhanced to emphasize when workers have breached a safe zone of six feet. The system also sends them a proactive alert, and the data is included in their labor-management reporting. The distance calculation can be easily modified as guidelines for safe distancing are revised.

invia pickmate screenshot showing humans in the warehouse

This screenshot from inVia PickMate software shows the view of human workers in the warehouse (image courtesy of inVia)

Workers are also protected on the warehouse floor through inVia PickMate, which is a user tool within inVia Logic that guides workers through fulfillment tasks. The app works on any smart device, and it sends a notification to the user when they’ve moved out of a safe zone. 

Upgrades are simple with Robots as a Service

​inVia was one of the early innovators of the ​​Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, where customers only pay a monthly subscription for automation services. With this new release, existing customers automatically, and instantly have access to the new features. There’s no costly upfront expenditure, and all updates – like safe distancing  – are included in this latest release. 

The ROI for warehouse automation ​minimizes the number of people working in the warehouse. ​As a result, warehouse associate safety is increased. This new feature from inVia helps to reinforce (and enforce) social distancing for your warehouse workforce and ensure worker safety as throughput ramps up to pre-pandemic levels.

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Written by

Mike Oitzman

Mike Oitzman is Senior Editor of WTWH's Robotics Group, cohost of The Robot Report Podcast, and founder of the Mobile Robot Guide. Oitzman is a robotics industry veteran with 25-plus years of experience at various high-tech companies in the roles of marketing, sales and product management. He can be reached at moitzman@wtwhmedia.com.