Digitalization of intralogistics & cobots
In the meantime, logistics, and thus Germany’s third-largest economic sector, is already well acquainted with the advantages of digital technology. As early as the 1970s, computers were already calculating freight forwarding routes. Because of the dozens of processes that take place in a warehouse, however, this support for digitization is also needed to make the supply chain as efficient as possible. As a further development of old computers or barcode scanners, there are now robots, so-called cobots, which also work in close proximity to humans as part of logistics and which drive the automation of logistics. The term “cobot” was created by combining the words “collaboration” and “robot”. In other words, a robot that works together with humans and is not separated from the employees in the production process by protective equipment. The cobots take on tasks that are usually particularly dangerous and complex or have a high repetition rate, such as assembly and packaging or order composition and goods transport.
Cobot "Luka Beverage"
The digital transformation and the support of artificial intelligence in everyday life are not stopping at beverage logistics. The new cobot application “Luka Beverage” will now be able to take over the tedious work of carrying crates and sorting empties and relieve warehouse workers. Through its arm with a suitable gripping system, “Luka Beverage” will be active in empty goods sorting and beverage and logistics transport. New AI methods and a 3D navigation solution for robots, called NODE.EDGE, will support “Luka” in this, allowing it to find its way in a frequently changeable and confined warehouse environment. The software for this comes from NODE Robotics GmbH, while Mojin Robotics GmbH, a subsidiary of the SCIO Automation Group, takes care of the hardware and overall integration. Supported by the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA), the first Cobot prototype should be able to sort empty crates, create mixed beverage crates and thus support the project partners Ensinger Mineral-Heilquellen GmbH and aktiv markt Manfred Gebauer GmbH.
Software from NODE Robotics
NODE Robotics is a Stuttgart-based start-up founded in November 2020. Originally developed from a project of the Fraunhofer Institute IPA, the vision of NODE Robotics is to enable any kind of mobile robot in such a way that they can be used universally as autonomous means of transport on any factory floor. For this purpose, based on the latest approaches in cloud robotics and machine learning, NODE offers software solutions for autonomous intralogistics that are specifically designed for industrial conditions and requirements. Because the software continuously updates environment and data models, adaptations to changes in the environment or situation are possible in real time. Manual adjustments in operation and inflexible process chains of mobile robot systems are a thing of the past. The modular architecture is easy to commission and use, so that efficient and at the same time customized solutions are available for the respective user.
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