The warehouse of the future conjures images of whirring humanoid robots autonomously zipping through aisles and large mechanical arms packing orders with clinical efficiency. While warehouse robotics is undeniably a growing trend, the narrative surrounding its value deserves a more granular look. Robotics certainly has the potential to reshape warehousing and logistics, but presently it has limitations and a long payback period.
Human touch often remains a crucial component in warehousing, especially when dealing with volatile consumer demand, a wide variety of product form factors, and a high-touch customer experience. Robotics is often used as a blanket term in warehousing, but it’s important to make a distinction between powered automation and robotics. Powered automation includes machinery such as powered rollers and conveyor belts, pallet-wrapping machines, and auto baggers.
Depending on the size and scale of an operation, these innovations offer a relatively straightforward return on investment calculation. There’s little variance in the tasks that this type of machinery handles, and depending on variables such as walking path length and package or pallet volume, the equipment can be a boon for efficiency. Robotics includes equipment such as powered carts that follow warehouse workers down picking aisles, arms to pick products out of bins and place them into boxes, self-contained units that perform large volume kitting and, in the near future, multi-function robots .