Integrated Design Systems (ISD) last week launched URBX, a cube-based robotic automated storage and retrieval system, or ASRS. It can enable high-density storage and rapid fulfillment for distribution centers, warehouses, and manufacturing operations, said the company.
“Traditional ASRS systems require aisles for cranes or forklifts. This robotic cube system eliminates that waste,” said Bob Jones, a senior analyst and consultant at ISD. “You’re storing inventory in what used to be empty air. That matters when you’re paying $15 per square foot for industrial space.”
ISD said URBX addresses three critical pain points impacting warehouse operators: insufficient floor space, unsustainable labor costs, and inadequate throughput capacity to meet accelerating e-commerce, omnichannel, and manufacturers’ delivery demands. The company said the ASRS eliminates expansion requirements while improving overall efficiency and closing labor gaps.
ISD claimed that its new system operates on a different principle than conventional crane-and-aisle storage. Instead of using cranes moving through fixed aisles, autonomous robots traverse a three-dimensional grid structure, climbing vertically and moving horizontally without dedicated travel lanes.
Each robot can access any storage location within the grid, storing totes in a dense cube arrangement that eliminates the aisle space that is typically wasted in an ASRS, said ISD. It partnered with Boston-based URBX last year.
ISD helps distribution centers with space constraints
Distribution centers face an intensifying constraint—they’re running out of room. Adding square footage increases operational inefficiencies and wastes valuable time, noted ISD.
Industrial real estate rates continue their upward trajectory, while building new facilities requires 18 to 24 months and capital expenditures that strain budgets, the company said. Meanwhile, SKU proliferation, e-commerce returns, and elevated safety stock levels force warehouses to accommodate 40% more inventory without expanding their footprint.
“We’ve seen operations store inventory in trailers parked in their lots,” explains Ed Romaine, vice president of marketing and business development at ISD. “That’s not a storage strategy. That’s desperation. You can’t efficiently pick from a trailer 200 yards [182.8 m] from your packing stations. This indicates a much larger problem—lack of floor space.”
ISD said URBX typically achieves three to four times the storage capacity of conventional racking in the same footprint. The system can reach heights up to 125 ft. (38.1 m), using vertical space that most facilities leave empty.
“Think of it as three-dimensional chess,” Romaine said. “The robots know where every tote or case sits. AI-driven software constantly optimizes their pathways. Utilizing integrated slotting logic, the system is storing popular SKUs in easily accessible locations and moving slow-movers to deeper positions—automatically, continuously, without human intervention.”
Integrated ASRS offers operational flexibility
ISD specified that URBX can handle up to 100 lb. (45.3 kg) in cases or totes and complete up to 500 presentations per hour—delivering 1,000 cycles hourly when counting both storage and retrieval operations.
The system can accommodate container dimensions from 6 to 24 in. (15.2 to 60.9 cm) for maximum operational flexibility, said the Wixom, Mich.-based company.
ISD said URBX is compatible with standard conveyor systems and with warehouse management software (WMS), warehouse control systems (WCS), and warehouse execution systems (WES). The technology integrates with existing pick-to-light and goods-to-person (G2P) technologies, as well as palletizers and outbound shipping systems.
Machine learning algorithms optimize robot tasking and routing, while AI-driven grid technology maximizes throughput. ISD said it designed vision systems to detect dimensions, anomalies, and barcodes.
A redundant robot fleet ensures continuous operation, and remote monitoring enables predictive maintenance, added the company. The modular design allows phased implementation, while scalable configuration grows with business requirements, it said.
URBX serves e-commerce, logistics, and more
ISD said URBX serves multiple industries facing storage and throughput challenges. E-commerce operations can benefit from rapid order-fulfillment speeds and high inventory visibility with efficient split-case picking for direct-to-consumer fulfillment.
Retail distribution centers can use the technology for omnichannel order processing, fulfilling both store replenishment and individual customer shipments without reconfiguration.
Third-party logistics providers (3PLs) can use the system’s flexibility to serve multiple clients from shared facilities, reconfiguring storage allocations quickly as requirements change.
Pharmaceutical distributors value ASRS accuracy and inventory control, and real-time location tracking supports first-expired, first-out picking strategies, according to ISD. Meanwhile, electronics manufacturers can benefit from high-density component storage accommodating thousands of low-volume SKUs in minimal floor space.
“One automotive parts distributor we worked with needed to double their SKU count without expanding their building,” Romaine stated. “Traditional racking couldn’t deliver that. The cube robotic system gave them 3.5 times their previous storage capacity in the same footprint. They canceled a planned facility expansion that would have cost $12 million.”
URBX ASRS promises productivity improvements
ISD claimed that URBX can deliver multiple operational improvements. Labor productivity typically improves three to four times compared with manual operations, as the system brings inventory to stationary picking positions, it asserted.
The company added that increased storage density can reduce the need for expansion, helping organizations avoid capital expenditures for building additions or new facilities.
An ASRS can eliminate location errors with pick accuracy typically exceeding 99.9%, reducing returns, customer complaints, and reshipment costs, said ISD. The system enables scaled throughput by adding robots to the grid structure, managing peak volumes without temporary labor surges or overtime expenses, it noted.
Real-time location tracking provides accurate inventory data, reducing safety stock requirements and improving inventory turns, according to ISD.
“One e-commerce operation calculated their payback at 22 months,” noted Romaine. “They eliminated 18 picking positions, gained 12,000 additional pallet positions, and improved order accuracy from 98.1% to 99.7%. Those aren’t hypothetical benefits. They’re documented results measured six months post-implementation.”
