Hongming Chen, CEO of GRS (Global Robotics Services), spoke with Michelle Mooney in this month's edition of Logistics Manager about the rise in robotic automation in warehouses, as well as correcting a common myth about the costs of robot use.

Robots are becoming ever more present in the warehouse and are only getting more sophisticated. So just how much has changed in the last year, Michelle Mooney asks.

Robotic technology in the warehouse has caused an upheaval in efficiency leading to better throughputs and benefits for employees too. And now, as the supply chain faces a multitude of disruptions, robotic technology is ever more pertinent to the success of a logistics operation. Antoine Martin, Managing Director, Autonomous Robotics Systems, Accenture Industry X says that in the current environment, all eyes are on easing the pressures caused by rocketing prices, supply chain blockages and fluctuating consumer demand. Robotics is a huge part of the solution. “Warehouse automation supports workers by optimising the processes for receiving orders, stocking goods, and shipping them - and vastly improves productivity. For example, a fleet of smart robots can work together to increase throughput and drive down costs in operations. Robotics also helps to make production more flexible and resilient. With integrated smart robotic technologies, warehouses can adjust inventory to customer demand in real-time.” Adding, Frazer Watson, UK and Ireland Country Manager and AMR designer at iFollow says that the surfaces on which AMRs travel are “not always thesmoothest and they are often full of static obstructions such as racking, shelving, conveyors as well as mobile ones like forklift trucks.” Mobile robots can rack up significant mileages through a typical year in these environments, “working long shifts carrying loads up to the unit’s capacity,” meaning that they can be used to take the harsh workload off of employees, improving overall health and safety.