What Is A Logistics Robot?

Logistics robots refer to robots that are used in warehouses, sorting centers, and transportation scenes, and carry out cargo transfer, handling and other operations. Logistics robot (also known as Automated Guided Vehicle, Automated Guided Vehicle, referred to as: AGV plays a key role in the entire intelligent logistics system, among which warehousing AGV is widely used in the logistics industry and the major mainstream e-commerce warehouse storage, sorting center and transportation and other operational scenarios, mainly to complete loading and unloading, handling, storage, sorting and transportation.

Types of logistics robots

At present, more and more enterprises at home and abroad have begun to use logistics robots. This paper takes stock of nine popular logistics robots in recent years.

1, Automatic guided truck (AGV)

The automatic guided vehicle is divided into rail RGV and trackless automatic guided vehicle AGV, and the trackless vehicle can also be divided into whether there is a landmark (the landmark is also divided into magnetic permeability or bar code), or the use of three-dimensional coordinate positioning (similar to the development of unmanned vehicles). This kind of car belongs to the mainstream research direction at present. The use of the environment is similar to the robot. Domestic automobile manufacturers and tobacco distributors are now using a large number of AGV cars, which is also used to improve efficiency, reduce operation intensity and reduce costs.

2. Click&Pick system

Swisslog, a Swiss-based provider of automated warehouse and distribution logistics solutions, is backed by KUKA, one of the "four Kings" of industrial robots (which owns more than 96% of Swisslog shares). Unlike shelf storage like Kiva, Swisslog's Click&Pick system uses a three-dimensional cube grid system, where each cube has a standard-sized box containing a specific item. If the box containing the desired item is buried under another box, the robot will pick up the top box and stack it next to it. Put the goods away when you get them. According to Sisslog, Click&Pick can process a thousand orders an hour, four to five times faster than a human.

3. HITACHI Hitachi Intelligent Robot

Hitachi, the maker of bullet trains and power stations, has unveiled a robot that can pick up items weighing around 1kg, potentially replacing repetitive corporate tasks such as retrieving items from shelves in Amazon warehouses. These robots can also be applied to work fixed to the factory floor, a common type of industrial robot such as the Toyota motor production line.

Although domestic robots have been rapidly developed in recent years, there is still a big gap from Europe and the United States. However, with the development of industry 4.0, especially the development of domestic e-commerce, the introduction of robots in the logistics link is an inevitable trend. It is worth mentioning that some leading domestic enterprises have begun to carry out robot operations in the field of warehousing.

4. Robot "Cao Cao"

At present, there are only two logistics warehouses in China with sorting robot applications, and "Cao Cao" of Tmall supermarket is one of them. The robot is an intelligent robot that can bear 50 kilograms and reach a speed of 2 meters per second, costing millions of dollars, and the system used is independently developed by Ali. After Cao Cao receives an order, it can quickly locate the location of the distribution of goods in the warehouse, and plan the optimal picking path, and automatically send the goods to the packing table after picking the goods. To a certain extent, the labor force of front-line workers can be released, and with the joint efforts of "Cao Cao" and small partners, Tmall supermarket has been able to achieve same-day arrival in the Beijing area.

5. Kiva

After Amazon bought automated logistics provider Kiva's robotic warehousing business for $678 million in 2012, it used robots to handle inventory and distribution of goods in warehouses. More than 15,000 Kiva robots are currently hard at work in dozens of Amazon warehouses. Amazon has thus become the world's most efficient warehouse.

Amazon split warehouse work into two parts: employees only need to take inventory or stock at a fixed location, while Kiva robots are responsible for moving goods (along with shelves) to the employees.

6. Fetch and Freight robots

Fetch and Freight are warehousing robots of FetchRoboTIcs, a Silicon Valley robotics company. Fetch's robot can take goods off the shelves according to orders and put them into another robot named Freight to transport and pack them. Fetch is equivalent to an upgraded version of Kiva. Fetch robot has automatic navigation function and can move between shelves, identify products, take them off the shelves and move them to the automated driving robot called Freight, which plays a similar role to Amazon's Kiva. The robots can plan routes and charge themselves, thus ensuring seamless operation of the entire storage system. One of this year's standout robotics companies is FetchRoboTIcs, a Silicon Valley company led by SoftBank that raised $23 million in funding in June.

7. Transwheel robot

Designers at Israel's Shenkar College of Engineering and Design have created a robot called the Transwheel. It uses a self-balancing system, when the robot arm can foot a single wheel to keep upright when loading, a single robot can transport small packages, and several robots can work together to transport large packages. In addition, the robot can use the GPS system to navigate, and can confirm the identity of the recipient through facial recognition software; For larger items, robots can also share the load. At the same time, it also has the function of intelligent fetching. Its designers claim it could even replace large delivery vehicles and ease traffic congestion. But perhaps even more useful is the fact that such robots can avoid making deliveries during working hours.

8. "Box Robot"

Starship, a company owned by Skype founder Heinla and Friis, has launched a "box robot" designed to deliver small items. So called because it resembles a storage box on six wheels, it can carry 20 pounds of cargo to a radius of more than a mile around the fulfillment center. Because its hardware is equipped with a series of cameras and sensors, it can ensure that it can walk safely on the sidewalk, start from the logistics center at the designated time, cross the streets and alleys, and come to the customer's door to complete the express task. During the delivery process, the packages carried are tightly sealed and can only be opened by the recipient through his or her smartphone. Starship says the connected robot can deliver up to two bags of groceries and can handle 95 percent of packages. It is five to 15 times cheaper than human delivery, with the average delivery fee currently $5 to $15 per trip, which Starship says can be cut to $1 in the future.

9. Bulter robot

The Bulter robot, which is equivalent to a square version of Kiva, is made by GrayOrange, a robotics company based in Gurgaon, India, and Singapore. The startup was founded in 2009 by SamayKohli and AkashGupta to make robots related to education and training, and later evolved into an industrial robot manufacturing company. It is currently focused on building businesses in retail, logistics and warehouse robotics.

Second, the composition of logistics robots

1. Executive agencies

The function of the actuator is to grab the item, and send the item to the specified position in accordance with the specified motion speed and motion trajectory, and then put down the item. To complete a complete operation process, the logistics robot needs to have several parts: hand, wrist, arm, fuselage head and walking mechanism. The hand is the part used by the robot to hold the workpiece or tool, and it is in direct contact with the workpiece or tool. The wrist is the part that connects the hand and arm at the beginning, which is used to adjust the position and posture of the hand and expand the range of motion of the hand. The arm supports the wrist and hand to extend the range of motion of the hand, and has the upper arm and the lower arm. The fuselage, also known as the column, is used to support the arm, install the drive device and other components. The walking mechanism is a mechanism that expands the robot's range of activity. It is installed in the lower part of the robot's fuselage and has a variety of structural forms, which can be tracks and wheels, and can also mimic human legs.

2. Drive system

The driving system is a device that provides power for the logistics robot. In general, each joint of the robot is set up with a drive system, which receives action instructions and accurately controls the motion position of the joint.

3. Control system

The control system controls the movement of the logistics robot according to the prescribed program, it can remember all kinds of instruction information, and at the same time issue instructions to each drive system according to the instruction information. When necessary, the control system can also monitor the robot, send an alarm signal when the action is wrong or malfunctioning, and also control and manage the external equipment required for the robot to complete the job.

4. Detect sensing and artificial intelligence systems

The detection sensor system mainly detects the motion state and position of the robot execution system, and feeds back the actual position of the execution system to the control system at any time, compares it with the set position, and then adjusts it through the control system to make the execution system complete the work process more accurately. Artificial intelligence systems give robots the ability to see, learn, remember and judge.