Autonomous mobile robot (AMR) vendor Seegrid Corp. is joining the growing ranks of material handling providers selling their technology through a Robots as a Service (RaaS) subscription model, saying the plan will help its manufacturing, e-commerce, and logistics customers handle intense competition to meet increasing demands, labor shortages, and supply chain uncertainties.
Under a RaaS model, logistics automation vendors charge users for the performance metrics that robots deliver, as opposed to selling them the vehicles outright, allowing users to have a lower cost of upfront investment. Pittsburgh-based Seegrid said it will also continue to offer its customers options to purchase or lease equipment in standard purchase agreements as well.
Other AMR vendors offering logistics bots through RaaS terms include Ocado Group plc’s Kindred Inc., Shopify’s 6 River Systems Inc., Fetch Robotics, Locus Robotics, Vecna Robotics, Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR), and InVia Robotics.
For Seegrid, the move is its latest step to expanding its AMR portfolio and capabilities, following recent enhancements to its Palion Tow Tractor and Palion Pallet Truck and the launch of its Palion Lift AMR. The growth follows venture capital backing of $52 million raised in 2020.
“New use cases for mobile automation applications continue to emerge, and our customers are seeking to rapidly expand and evolve with Seegrid as their automation partner,” Seegrid CEO Jim Rock said in a release. “The addition of the RaaS model underscores our commitment to delivering industry-leading material handling solutions in the manner that best aligns with our customers’ business needs.”
