The story of warehouse robotics is a story of trying to keep up with Amazon. It’s been more than a decade since the online giant revolutionized its delivery services by acquiring Kiva Systems. As Walmart works to remain competitive, the company is taking a more piecemeal approach to automation, working with a number of different robotics companies.
On Thursday, the mega-retailer announced a partnership with Fox Robotics that will bring 19 of the Austin-based startup’s robotic forklifts to its distribution centers. Today’s news follows a 16-month pilot where Walmart tested the technology at the 6020 distribution center.
This Florida distribution center is the first of what the company calls “high-tech DC.” These are warehouses where the company tests automation and various other technologies before rolling them out to its broader distribution channels and fulfillment centers. DC 6020 is where Walmart began testing Symbotic’s package sorting and retrieval technologies.
After that successful trial, Walmart announced plans to roll out the technology in all 42 of its regional distribution centers – nearly double its original goal of 25. This week’s news is more modest, targeting four high-tech distribution centers, but if it works Well, the dealer will order more.
Robotic forklifts are emblematic of a brownfield approach to automation, meaning the company effectively retrofits existing warehouses with technology rather than building that space from the ground up around the technology. It’s certainly a faster and more cost-effective approach, although there may be trade-offs in the end.
So why automate forklifts? In addition to efficiency, properly automated systems bring an additional sense of security. In the United States, approximately 95 people are injured by forklifts every day. Imagine driving a heavy piece of equipment with blind spots and two massive metal tines sticking out the front and you’ll understand why these are potentially very dangerous – especially in a confined space with lots of human workers hanging around.
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