Simbe Robotics announced that it is partnering with Fast Radius. Fast Radius will manufacture components critical to the function and aesthetic of Simbe’s inventory robot Tally 3.
Fast Radius is a cloud manufacturing and digital supply chain company. Its Cloud Manufacturing Platform can bypass current supply chain disruptions through flexible production. Simbe chose the platform for its faster time to market.
With its partnership with Fast Radius, Simbe has saved more than $30,000 in engineering costs. The system is also flexible enough to allow Simbe to refine and change designs as needed to accommodate any new product requirements or sensor technology.
“Given the current and sustained supply chain disruptions felt across industries, when we were looking to accelerate production of our Tally robots, it was critical for us to find a partner who could keep costs low while delivering on the quality and durability that you typically only get from high-volume manufacturing,” Owen Davies, Director of Hardware Engineering at Simbe Robotics, said. “Working with Fast Radius, we’ve been able to deploy nearly 200 robots globally with industrial-grade quality, all while staying agile enough to continue innovating. Having a flexible and reliable supply chain through Fast Radius has helped us grow our business and widely distribute Tally robots.”
Tally 3, Simbe’s flagship robot, autonomously collects and analyzes inventory data in retail environments. The robot helps to alert store employees to shelf stocking needs, whether that be on standard fixtures, variable shelving units to coolers, freezers and top stock auditing.
Tally is able to capture between 15,000 and 30,000 products an hour, and can perform audits up to three times a day. Simbe has deployments with Wakefern Food Corp. and Hy-Vee, among other retailers.
“The robotics industry is a uniquely innovative space, and Simbe is positioned to revolutionize how work is done with robots that automate tasks to increase productivity and accuracy,” Bobby Bott, EVP of Manufacturing at Fast Radius, said. “We’re excited to support businesses like Simbe that are bringing these advanced robots to the market and to enable their growth through our Cloud Manufacturing Platform.”
