Tuesday, March 18, 2025

Locus Array automates induction, storage for ‘zero contact’ success

Array, shown here, uses a LocusBot designed to pick from and to bins from warehouse shelving, says Locus Robotics.

Array makes use of a LocusBot designed to select from and to bins from warehouse shelving. Supply: Locus Robotics


CHICAGO — Locus Robotics is thought for its goods-to-person automation, by which cellular robots help human pickers. At ProMat yesterday, the corporate gave a sneak peek of Locus Array, a system utilizing synthetic intelligence and robots for high-density storage and throughput. “We’ve been engaged on this for the previous a number of years,” stated Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Our zero-touch success automates induction, and double-deep storage covers 100% of SKUs.” The Wilmington, Mass.-based firm has developed a brand new journal tower that may retrieve a number of orders from shelving into bins or cartons that may be subdivided for additional effectivity.

Locus Array makes use of AMRs, arms for environment friendly retrieval

For Array, Locus Robotics mixed an autonomous cellular robotic (AMR) with a tower and a custom-developed, vision-guided choosing arm. The AMR has omnidirectional wheels much like Vector, which the corporate acquired with Waypoint Robotics, to make tight turns and slide subsequent shelving on both aspect of an aisle.

“It could pull from a conveyor or stream rack, choose most of an order, after which hand off objects to be picked with Origin or Vector,” stated Mike Johnson, president of Locus Robotics. “The robotic can choose to a few completely different tote sizes for optimum density with 99.9% accuracy.”

Array’s robotic choosing arm, which makes use of suction cup finish effectors, can choose from both aspect of a really slim aisle, defined Faulk. Racks as much as 10 ft. (3 m) excessive add versatile, high-density storage and a 3rd dimension to Locus’ robotic choosing, not not like an automatic storage and retrieval system (ASRS).

“Healthcare, industrial, retail, and e-commerce all have the identical issues with throughput and labor shortages. We will now automate all the things from induction and putaway to decant for packout,” he informed The Robotic Report throughout an unique media preview. “It could get rid of 90% of labor, and our purpose is to empty the parking a lot of all of the warehouses around the globe.”

Locus has already assisted with greater than 4 billion picks, and the corporate was a 2024 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award honoree.


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LocusOne orchestrates success

As with Locus Robotics’ present goods-to-person (G2P) choosing, LocusOne‘s AI sequences choosing workflows for optimum effectivity, famous Kait Peterson, vp of product advertising and marketing at Locus.

“We’re creating a brand new class of robot-to-goods, or R2G, choosing,” she stated.

LocusOne already had the order logic and required only a few modifications for Array, added Faulk.

“This has been a part of the corporate’s imaginative and prescient because it was based, and our engineers have labored on this since September,” he stated. “By decreasing price per choose, we will ship a quick ROI [return on investment].”

Faulk added that cellular manipulator Array could be shortly and simply built-in with present warehouses and Locus’ AMRs, permitting scalable deployments in weeks fairly than months. It could function 24/7 to fulfill growing success calls for, he stated.

In line with Locus, the product might be accessible for ordering later this 12 months, and can begin delivery in early 2026.

Editor’s word: Comply with our ongoing protection of ProMat 2025.

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