Locus Robotics Corp. yesterday announced that its largest mobile robot, the Locus Vector, has obtained CE certification for safety, health, and environmental compliance. The company said this will enable broader deployments of its artificial intelligence-powered automation across Europe and other international markets.
“This CE certification for Locus Vector allows us to bring the benefits of our flexible warehouse automation solution to more customers globally,” stated Denis Niezgoda, chief commercial officer for international at Locus Robotics.
“Vector’s exceptional payload capacity, mobility, and seamless integration into LocusONE make it the ideal solution for robust automation in industries like 3PL [third-party logistics], retail, and healthcare,” he added. “Customers are already seeing increased flexibility and efficiency by deploying Vector alongside their Locus Origin fleets or standalone.”
Locus acquired the Vector robot with Waypoint Robotics in 2021. A year later, it rebranded the robot, which has omnidirectional wheels and a payload capacity of up to 600 lb. (272.1 kg), as the Locus Vector. The company showed off Vector as part of its product line at Manifest 2024.
Locus Vector joins warehouse workflows
Locus Robotics described Vector as its “most dynamic” autonomous mobile robot (AMR). The system complements existing Locus Origin fleets and works with the LocusONE platform to enhance warehouse productivity, it claimed.
Locus Vector enables customers to expand their automation capabilities for workflows requiring higher payloads or specialized handling, such as case picking, replenishment, and returns, said the company.
LocusONE offers real-time fleet optimization and visibility, productivity tracking, and integration with third-party warehouse management systems (WMS) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. Locus this allows for incremental expansion and increased throughput without infrastructure overhauls.
Locus asserted that Vector and Origin provide more flexible automation than goods-to-person (G2P) or automated storage and retrieval systems (ASRS), which it said struggle with heavier items and orders, complex SKUs, and brownfield applications.
By picking directly from pallets, both AMRs can eliminate decanting and reduce labor costs, making it suitable for high-throughput environments, the company said.
Locus Robotics cites use cases
Currently operational at multiple sites, Locus Vector is deployed across leading 3PLs and a leading global apparel and footwear retailer in Europe, according to Locus Robotics. It said the CE certification validates its ability to meet growing demand, manage complex multi-step processes, accommodate larger payloads, and adapt to a wider range of order dimensions.
The company added that Vector provides flexible and scalable automation across warehouse operations. For example, a U.K.-based 3PL uses the robot for wine distribution, automating bottle picking directly onto mobile pallet dollies.
In addition, a leading retailer in Czechia uses Vector for large-volume replenishment while Origin robots handle picking tasks. The LocusONE platform orchestrates these workflows in real time, optimizing operations, said Locus.
Founded in 2014, Locus Robotics said its systems, which are provided through a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model, are trusted by more than 150 brands in over 350 sites worldwide. The Wilmington, Mass.-based company earned a 2024 RBR Robotics Innovation Award for surpassing 2 billion robot-assisted picks, and it passed 4 billion picks in October 2024.
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