Newspapers all around the world have this week been fascinated by a story about the Buddhist Kodaiji temple in Kyoto, Japan which has just unveiled the Android Kannon. The £700,000 robot is designed to preach Buddhist teachings in a bid to reach Japan’s younger generation.
It’s yet another sign of how rapid developments in artificial intelligence and robotics are affecting people’s lives.
And nowhere are these developments coming faster than in supply chain and logistics. Just this week Vanderlande set out plans to develop artificial intelligence technology for its automated order picking, storage, unloading and palletising robotic solutions, as part of a strategic partnership with Fizyr.
The idea is to use deep-learning technology to address some of the complexities due to the different shapes, sizes, colours and materials of goods being handled. “By applying deep-learning technology software, we can identify the best grasp locations for a robot, allowing it to cope with a high level of variation,” says Fizyr’s chief executive Herbert ten.
The rate of growth of robotics is highlighted in a new study by research group Tractica, which predicts that worldwide shipments of warehousing and logistics robots will rise from 194,000 units last year to 938,000 units in 2022, making it a $31 billion market.
So, if you have not yet thought about how robotics could be used in your business, now is a good time to start – and there is no better place to start than the IntraLogisteX exhibition where automation and robotics specialists are exhibiting alongside other cutting edge materials handling solutions.
IntraLogisteX takes place at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena today and tomorrow. Click here for more details.
