Is the industry robot-ready? interview with Dr. Christian Wurll
Warehouse robots are becoming cheaper and more collaborative all the time. But that doesn't mean they're all ready for 24/7 use, cautions Professor Christian Wurll.
Ben Ames has spent 20 years as a journalist since starting out as a daily newspaper reporter in Pennsylvania in 1995. From 1999 forward, he has focused on business and technology reporting for a number of trade journals, beginning when he joined Design News and Modern Materials Handling magazines. Ames is author of the trail guide "Hiking Massachusetts" and is a graduate of the Columbia School of Journalism.
Dr. Christian Wurll is a professor of electrical engineering and automation at the University of Applied Sciences in Karlsruhe, Germany. Dr. Wurll has extensive experience in the study and application of robotics and automation. Before entering the academic world, he held executive positions at companies including Swisslog Automation, Grenzebach, and Kuka Robotics.
Dr. Wurll studied control theory and robotics at the University of Karlsruhe, Germany, where he earned a master of science degree in electrical engineering and a Ph.D. in computer science. He has published extensively on robotics, vision, and search algorithms. Dr. Wurll spoke with DC Velocity Senior News Editor Ben Ames at the MHI Fall Conference in La Quinta, California.
Q: Supply chain managers are facing many challenges. They are dealing with labor shortages and demands for ever-faster fulfillment. The robots are coming, which may help to ease the labor crunch. But are they really ready for 24/7 use yet?
A: I have implemented many systems and applications in logistics warehouses, but still using the traditional industrial robot arms, which are basically caged in, in order to protect the people running the applications. However, there is a new trend coming with all the cheaper robots—we call them "collaborative robots." They are designed and developed to run without a safety fence, but that requires that these robots be operated in accordance with certain rules and safety precautions.
What we observe in the European Union is that the machine laws are pretty tough. [Regulators] have set the forces applied to, say, a collision with a human pretty low, which means that you have to run these applications at very, very low speeds. But that can make it difficult to meet productivity goals. You want to achieve high throughput rates, but you can't achieve that running at a very slow pace. That means that it is a hindrance to actually deploy these robots in the numbers the industry is really looking to do.
Q: For a return on investment, you really need to ensure that the robots compare favorably to a human who's doing the same work. Robots might be more reliable—they're not going to take sick days, for example. But if they are running slowly, then the throughput just isn't there?
A: Exactly. It is kind of crazy how many new suppliers for robots are showing up at these industrial fairs, both here in the United States and in Germany. But if you really look carefully into these various vendors, you can still see some differences. Not every robot type is really suited yet to run 24/7, in my mind. They look nice. They are actually well-designed, but if you compare them, you will see there are huge differences. So really, you have to be careful about what type of robot you are selecting, and you certainly have to run some tests.
Q: So, it sounds like there are a number of challenges. The safety restrictions, the reliability, the speed, and also the reality that some of the collaborative robots, or cobots, are not actually operating in a fashion that's so collaborative yet. Is that right?
A: Yes, that's right. Then, keep in mind that you have to look at more than just the robot itself; you also have to look at the gripping technology. That also has to be collaborative. Even if your robot and your gripper are designed to avoid harming the operator, you still have to watch what kind of work piece you are actually handling. If the work piece has sharp edges, then you still have to come up with a solution for avoiding a collision between the robot and the operator.
Q: So, the gripping technology is one aspect of the warehouse-robotics development picture. But I believe that in some of your writings, you've suggested that pallet moving is going to be one of the up-and-coming applications for robots?
A: Absolutely. When we install systems with large integrators, I often see many pallet conveyor styles being implemented. Sometimes, there are miles of conveyors. I think there is a trend coming up with replacing these pallet conveyors with mobile robots. We can see it with the systems now [used] at Amazon Robotics. They have been a game-changer in the industry. Now, robotic technology can also be deployed to heavier items, like pallets. I think they are definitely much more flexible [than conveyors], and you don't have to bolt something onto a floor, which allows you to be more creative in your layouts.
Q: As these applications develop, particularly with regard to pallet picking, it seems like one of the enabling technologies to accelerate that might be 5G wireless technology, because really, they always have to have a data link in order to work, right?
A: That is true. We are closely watching what 5G will bring to us. Certainly, you have to have the infrastructure first. From what we are looking into, it feels pretty promising. You can connect lots of sensors and actuators to your automation system and start communicating in real time with these devices. That allows you to actually come up with some newer, smarter solutions requiring less cabling and reducing costs in terms of commissioning those systems. That is an interesting trend, and it definitely will change certain things. Look at mobile robots, for example. You always need the navigation principles and methods—so you can maneuver from point A to point B inside a warehouse, for instance. The normal approach is using some sort of "SLAM" technology.
Q: You are referring to simultaneous localization and mapping?
A: Yes, exactly. But it all depends on usually a leader sensor acquiring the data, and with 5G coming up, you actually have an exact position where your object is. So, you may not even need those sensors anymore, because in the communication protocol, you can actually detect where you are. That means that you can more or less simplify your navigation concepts—there's no need for a map anymore. I think that definitely will change the way we integrate mobile robots.
Q: That would be a different approach. And yet the 5G technology is something that's really not in the control of the vendors or platform developers. They have to do that in conjunction with the telephony providers. Is that right?
A: Absolutely. There are some approaches now being discussed in Europe in which, let's say, the OEMs request their own frequencies. They have to be somewhat independent from the telephone suppliers. I think in Europe, we just awarded all these contracts recently, but certain frequencies are specified for these OEMs. Then they can basically be running on their own.
Supply chain planning (SCP) leaders working on transformation efforts are focused on two major high-impact technology trends, including composite AI and supply chain data governance, according to a study from Gartner, Inc.
"SCP leaders are in the process of developing transformation roadmaps that will prioritize delivering on advanced decision intelligence and automated decision making," Eva Dawkins, Director Analyst in Gartner’s Supply Chain practice, said in a release. "Composite AI, which is the combined application of different AI techniques to improve learning efficiency, will drive the optimization and automation of many planning activities at scale, while supply chain data governance is the foundational key for digital transformation.”
Their pursuit of those roadmaps is often complicated by frequent disruptions and the rapid pace of technological innovation. But Gartner says those leaders can accelerate the realized value of technology investments by facilitating a shift from IT-led to business-led digital leadership, with SCP leaders taking ownership of multidisciplinary teams to advance business operations, channels and products.
“A sound data governance strategy supports advanced technologies, such as composite AI, while also facilitating collaboration throughout the supply chain technology ecosystem,” said Dawkins. “Without attention to data governance, SCP leaders will likely struggle to achieve their expected ROI on key technology investments.”
The British logistics robot vendor Dexory this week said it has raised $80 million in venture funding to support an expansion of its artificial intelligence (AI) powered features, grow its global team, and accelerate the deployment of its autonomous robots.
A “significant focus” continues to be on expanding across the U.S. market, where Dexory is live with customers in seven states and last month opened a U.S. headquarters in Nashville. The Series B will also enhance development and production facilities at its UK headquarters, the firm said.
The “series B” funding round was led by DTCP, with participation from Latitude Ventures, Wave-X and Bootstrap Europe, along with existing investors Atomico, Lakestar, Capnamic, and several angels from the logistics industry. With the close of the round, Dexory has now raised $120 million over the past three years.
Dexory says its product, DexoryView, provides real-time visibility across warehouses of any size through its autonomous mobile robots and AI. The rolling bots use sensor and image data and continuous data collection to perform rapid warehouse scans and create digital twins of warehouse spaces, allowing for optimized performance and future scenario simulations.
Originally announced in September, the move will allow Deutsche Bahn to “fully focus on restructuring the rail infrastructure in Germany and providing climate-friendly passenger and freight transport operations in Germany and Europe,” Werner Gatzer, Chairman of the DB Supervisory Board, said in a release.
For its purchase price, DSV gains an organization with around 72,700 employees at over 1,850 locations. The new owner says it plans to investment around one billion euros in coming years to promote additional growth in German operations. Together, DSV and Schenker will have a combined workforce of approximately 147,000 employees in more than 90 countries, earning pro forma revenue of approximately $43.3 billion (based on 2023 numbers), DSV said.
After removing that unit, Deutsche Bahn retains its core business called the “Systemverbund Bahn,” which includes passenger transport activities in Germany, rail freight activities, operational service units, and railroad infrastructure companies. The DB Group, headquartered in Berlin, employs around 340,000 people.
“We have set clear goals to structurally modernize Deutsche Bahn in the areas of infrastructure, operations and profitability and focus on the core business. The proceeds from the sale will significantly reduce DB’s debt and thus make an important contribution to the financial stability of the DB Group. At the same time, DB Schenker will gain a strong strategic owner in DSV,” Deutsche Bahn CEO Richard Lutz said in a release.
Transportation industry veteran Anne Reinke will become president & CEO of trade group the Intermodal Association of North America (IANA) at the end of the year, stepping into the position from her previous post leading third party logistics (3PL) trade group the Transportation Intermediaries Association (TIA), both organizations said today.
Meanwhile, TIA today announced that insider Christopher Burroughs would fill Reinke’s shoes as president & CEO. Burroughs has been with TIA for 13 years, most recently as its vice president of Government Affairs for the past six years, during which time he oversaw all legislative and regulatory efforts before Congress and the federal agencies.
Before her four years leading TIA, Reinke spent two years as Deputy Assistant Secretary with the U.S. Department of Transportation and 16 years with CSX Corporation.
Serious inland flooding and widespread power outages are likely to sweep across Florida and other Southeast states in coming days with the arrival of Hurricane Helene, which is now predicted to make landfall Thursday evening along Florida’s northwest coast as a major hurricane, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
While the most catastrophic landfall impact is expected in the sparsely-population Big Bend area of Florida, it’s not only sea-front cities that are at risk. Since Helene is an “unusually large storm,” its flooding, rainfall, and high winds won’t be limited only to the Gulf Coast, but are expected to travel hundreds of miles inland, the weather service said. Heavy rainfall is expected to begin in the region even before the storm comes ashore, and the wet conditions will continue to move northward into the southern Appalachians region through Friday, dumping storm total rainfall amounts of up to 18 inches. Specifically, the major flood risk includes the urban areas around Tallahassee, metro Atlanta, and western North Carolina.
In addition to its human toll, the storm could exert serious business impacts, according to the supply chain mapping and monitoring firm Resilinc. Those will be largely triggered by significant flooding, which could halt oil operations, force mandatory evacuations, restrict ports, and disrupt air traffic.
While the storm’s track is currently forecast to miss the critical ports of Miami and New Orleans, it could still hurt operations throughout the Southeast agricultural belt, which produces products like soybeans, cotton, peanuts, corn, and tobacco, according to Everstream Analytics.
That widespread footprint could also hinder supply chain and logistics flows along stretches of interstate highways I-10 and I-75 and on regional rail lines operated by Norfolk Southern and CSX. And Hurricane Helene could also likely impact business operations by unleashing power outages, deep flooding, and wind damage in northern Florida portions of Georgia, Everstream Analytics said.
Before the storm had even touched Florida soil, recovery efforts were already being launched by humanitarian aid group the American Logistics Aid Network (ALAN). In a statement on Wednesday, the group said it is urging residents in the storm's path across the Southeast to heed evacuation notices and safety advisories, and reminding members of the logistics community that their post-storm help could be needed soon. The group will continue to update its Disaster Micro-Site with Hurricane Helene resources and with requests for donated logistics assistance, most of which will start arriving within 24 to 72 hours after the storm’s initial landfall, ALAN said.