Picking solution robot that Nippon Express aims to put to practical use

Nippon Express will commercialize a collaborative picking solutionfor logistics warehouses by the end of fiscal 2019, using robots (photo) from Rapyuta Robotics (Chuo-ku, Tokyo; Rapyuta Robotics). The company conducted a demonstration at its own distribution warehouse in June. Another demonstration experiment will be conducted in September with the aim of putting the system into practical use. The Laputa robot is an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that assists people in their picking work. The core of the technology is the control and management of multiple robots in accordance with the progress of the work. The robots move along the aisles of the product shelves, show the workers the items to be removed from the shelves, and then transport the removed items. This reduces the range of movement for the worker, leading to reduced workload and time savings. (= July 12, 2019, photo location unknown, credit: Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun / Kyodo News Images)