The Next Wave of Collaborative Robots

From college campuses to hospitals to production floors, autonomous mobile robot carts (AMRs) will create a seismic shift in internal logistics, much the same way collaborative robot arms have changed the way we produce goods.

By Sandia Harrison, Director of Marketing, FPE Automation

Walk around any manufacturing or logistics space, or attend a trade show, and it’s easy to see that robot arms have become ubiquitous.

Six-axis robots like the ones manufactured by Universal Robots, Epson and Kawasaki, will continue to be permanent fixtures in industrial settings for generations to come. Just like the conveyor belt in 1892, they are here to stay.

Next up, autonomous mobile robot carts, or AMRs, as they are called.

“Autonomous robots are helping define the supply chain of the future by helping companies decrease long-term costs; provide labor and utilization stability; increase worker productivity; reduce error rate; reduce frequency of inventory checks; optimize picking, sorting, and storing times; and increase access to difficult or dangerous locations.”

Source: Deloitte.com.

Our supply chain is one of the most critical aspects of our economy. Internal logistics is overdue for an update –  remaining relatively unchanged for many years. Yet, the technology exists today to greatly improve this crucial area of our economy. Many of the world’s largest distribution networks already rely on AMRs to increase safety and reduce the high costs of the internal transport of goods.

AMRs are the “other collaborative robot”. Collaborative, in the sense that they can safely and effectively work alongside humans. Game-changing in the same way robot arms are; eliminating low-value, repetitive tasks to free workers up to accomplish much more.

“Autonomous robots are expected to see strong growth over the next five years, particularly within supply chain operations that include lower-value, potentially dangerous or high-risk tasks. Autonomous robots have a strong presence already in manufacturing, final assembly, and warehousing, for example. The supply chain of the future is likely to see continued growth of autonomous robots in these areas, allowing people to shift to more strategic, less dangerous, and higher value work.”

Source: Deloitte.com.

The internal presentation/delivery of goods doesn’t have to be time-consuming or costly. AMRs like the ones pictured here from MiR, do the job effectively using sophisticated technology. They’re user-friendly, flexible and safe. MiR autonomous robots are a new generation of advanced mobile robots which give businesses of any size a rapid return on investment, often with a payback period of less than a year.

In this video, FPE Automation’s Charlie Scales gives an overview of Mobile Industrial Robots.

For more information about MiR robots, contact FPE Automation.