The writing is on the wall for traditional, manual-based processes in supply chain management, says Cade Metz of The New York Times. While Amazon leads the way, other companies, including carriers such as FedEx and DHL, are testing and developing robotic-based systems to speed operations. Unfortunately, limitations of robotics continue to exist, and adaptation is the only way to achieve greater opportunities. Supply chain leaders need to understand these current limitations, and how artificial intelligence and warehouse management lead to efficiency gains and the top benefits of AI-driven robotics.

The Limitations of Robotics in Modern Warehousing Lead to Inefficiencies

Today’s level of robotics have severe limitations to mobility and use, says Steve Banker via Forbes. According to Bastiane Huang via Robotics Business Review, robots lack fundamental senses and the ability to change movements between fine and gross activities. The use of sensors can simulate senses, but every sensor will require a pre-registration of information. For example, the use of a barcode may trigger a certain defined set of actions. Moreover, they do not understand whether tasks are adequately performed due to camera and sensor limits. Translucent packaging and reflective packages can render sensors useless.

Another severe limitation concerns the high costs of implementation, including integration. The typical cost of implementing and integrating non-robot hardware can cost up to 400 times more than a single robot arm. Given that an arm costs between $10,000 and $100,000, the actual costs of robot integration could skyrocket to $400,000. That being said, warehouses that begin the process of implementing the technologies needed to plan for a robotic-driven future can reduce the costs of implementation. Building artificial intelligence within the WMS and using automation creates a robot-ready future, well-equipped for when engineers bridge the divide between robotic implementation costs and functions in the warehouse. As technology evolves, costs will decline, and more companies can deploy robots faster.