Expert Insight: Sorting it Out
By Cliff Holste
Date: October 14, 2009

Logistics News: Material Handling Industry Front and Center at

G-20 Summit

G-20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Learn About Advances in Supply Chain Logistics and Material Handling Technology

It is both interesting and exciting to note that for the first time the Materials Handling Industry received some well deserved recognition at this year’s G-20 summit held in Pittsburgh, PA.

Among the standout technologies highlighted during the summit was Seegrid’s www.seegrid.com new class of affordable AGV-like industrial mobile robots. The company’s vision-guided robots automate the movement of product in dynamic warehousing, distribution and manufacturing environments.

Seegrid’s robots can actually sense and interpret their environment based on powerful on-board 3D computer imaging and interpretation software. Using optics and other sensors, the software builds a 3D map of its operating environment and can generate an optimum and flexible “guide path” for the movement of materials from different points in a DC or manufacturing facility with much less restrictive tolerances for making those moves than traditional AGV technology.

Another attention getting advancement noticed by the G-20 participants, is that the Seegrid robots can, in effect, be quickly “taught” by simply “taking them for a walk”, along a desired path, while instructing it on behaviors such as sounding horns and waiting at stop stations.

 

Final Thoughts


It is entirely understandable that G-20 participants would be interested in advances in supply chain logistics and material handling technology. Vision guided robots are an example of breakthrough technology in the automated movement of product, resulting in improved flexibility, reduced operating costs and increased scalability to keep up with the ebb and flow of business variability – key themes during economic slowdowns.


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profile About the Author
Cliff Holste is Supply Chain Digest's Material Handling Editor. With more than 30 years experience in designing and implementing material handling and order picking systems in distribution, Holste has worked with dozens of large and smaller companies to improve distribution performance.
 
Visit SCDigest's New Distribution Digest web page for the best in distribution management and material handling news and insight.

Holste Says:


Vision guided robots are an example of breakthrough technology in the automated movement of product.


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