Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are increasingly common in warehouses and distribution centers (DCs) around the world—largely because their flexibility, scalability, and ease of use make them ideal tools for automating pick, pack, ship, and similar tasks in facilities of all sizes.
According to late 2023 data from market research firm Interact Analysis, they were a buffer against slowing investments in warehouse automation. The research showed a decline in demand for warehouse automation overall, driven by an 8% drop in order intake for fixed systems. However, in the same period, demand for mobile robotic solutions grew 38%. You need to look no further than recent industry projects to see that logistics has become a showplace of AMR innovation. Automation leader Zebra Technologies has expanded its reach into sustainable farming, working with agriculture startup Hippo Harvest to combine mobile robotics with plant science and machine learning to improve the growing of leafy greens in the startup’s Pescadero, California, greenhouse.
And so they did. Hippo Harvest built a technology system that uses machine learning to determine how much water, fertilizer, and light are needed to produce its crops, which are grown in large trays in greenhouses. Inside the greenhouse, the company uses Zebra’s Freight100 AMRs to do the farm’s heavy lifting. The AMRs deliver precise levels of water and nutrients to plants, functioning as a robotic watering can, so there’s no need for plumbing in the facility. They also help harvest the plants: Much like you’d see in a fulfillment center, the AMRs travel through the greenhouse, maneuvering themselves underneath the growing trays, using a scissor lift to grasp the bottom of the tray, and then moving the trays to various stations throughout the facility.
“They vacuum the farm. They take crops through a harvester,” says Hippo HArvest CEO and co-founder, Marder-Eppstein, comparing the AMRs to tractors on traditional farms. “[They are a] tool that increases your ability to get work done. We’re always finding new applications for the robots.”
Read the full article at dcvelocity.com