Cool and Weird Warehouse Robots

Some of the most impressive advances in robotics in recent years are visible in newly automated warehouses.

Rob Spiegel

January 21, 2022

1 Min Read
2F3CX4T.jpg
Alamy

Amazon had demonstrated how well robots can automate a warehouse. Robot automation has become so important to the world’s second-largest retailer, the company bought a robot company. Amazon has introduced robots named Bert and Ernie, as well as the Scooter and Kermit robots.

The safety of human workers has also been elevated by Amazon’s ubiquitous use of automation. Amazon’s work is now filtering down to smaller warehouses. The concepts and technology that support warehouse automation have gone democratic. Smaller warehouses are not taking advantage of advancing robot technology.

There are two basic types of warehouse robots: automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). The difference between these two lies in their navigation technologies. Warehouses also use pick-and-place robots and palletizing robots.

This video demonstrates some amazing warehouse robots.

 

About the Author

Rob Spiegel

Rob Spiegel serves as a senior editor for Design News. He started with Design News in 2002 as a freelancer covering sustainability issues, including the transistion in electronic components to RoHS compliance. Rob was hired by Design News as senior editor in 2011 to cover automation, manufacturing, 3D printing, robotics, AI, and more.

Prior to his work with Design News, Rob worked as a senior editor for Electronic News and Ecommerce Business. He served as contributing editolr to Automation World for eight years, and he has contributed to Supply Chain Management Review, Logistics Management, Ecommerce Times, and many other trade publications. He is the author of six books on small business and internet commerce, inclluding Net Strategy: Charting the Digital Course for Your Company's Growth.

He has been published in magazines that range from Rolling Stone to True Confessions.

Rob has won a number of awards for his technolloghy coverage, including a Maggy Award for a Design News article on the Jeep Cherokee hacking, and a Launch Team award for Ecommerce Business. Rob has also won awards for his leadership postions in the American Marketing Association and SouthWest Writers.

Before covering technology, Rob spent 10 years as publisher and owner of Chile Pepper Magazine, a national consumer food publication. He has published hundreds of poems and scores of short stories in national publications.

Sign up for Design News newsletters

You May Also Like