Smart Robotics launches new Smart Merchandise Picker

Eindhoven, the Netherlands, 8 November 2022: As of today Smart Robotics, a global leader in pick and place solutions for warehouses and logistics processes, is excited to announce the launch of their newly engineered Smart Merchandise Picker. The launch comes just as the festive season kick-offs, with warehouses experiencing a sharp increase in seasonal demand and the need to keep up with order sorting and shipping.

Designed as a collaborative robot (cobot), the Smart Merchandise Picker is able to handle an array of lightweight products, such as stationery and office supplies, handheld devices like smartphones and tablets, and a variety of toys in boxes. The cobot comes with the guarantee of Smart Robotics smart technology, enabling it to gently pick and place items at a pace that is in line with the need at peak season. Using Smart Merchandise Picker for this purpose leads to less breakage of goods

“”We’re very excited to introduce the warehousing sectors to the Smart Merchandise Picker! With its advanced Smart technology, the cobot is able to sort and stack items without wasting valuable space, all while optimizing throughput capacity. With this intuitive picking cobot, we’re addressing some common issues with space optimization for warehouses, as the cobot is able to fill a tote or container to the optimal capacity .” – Johan Jardevall, CEO of Smart Robotics.

Seasonal demand fluctuations can cause great disruptions for warehouses in keeping with the storage and sorting of various items. Warehouse capacity is usually under strain due to space and infrastructure needed to accommodate high volumes of inventory and traffic. This is especially the case for warehouses specializing in stocking eCommerce and retail merchandise, like electronics or personal care products that are popular gifts over the Christmas season.

Being able to run 24/7, the Smart Merchandise Picker, improves warehouse throughput and output, ensuring more reliable turnaround times in highly demanding logistics. The reliability of the cobot, and its ability to run continuously, ultimately creates a quicker return on investment – whilst answering the labour crisis in logistics. In addition, having the cobot take over repetitive and physically straining tasks, the physical and mental health quality of existing warehouse employees are improved, whilst optimizing overall performance.

The cobot is capable of handling items at a pace that matches human pickers, requiring very little oversight, ensuring reliable and uninterrupted operations. Employees also don’t need to be highly skilled or specialized in robotics to manage and oversee the cobot, it can safely be managed by people of all skill levels.

Smart Robotics introduced this cobot as one part of the advanced robotic systems they’re working on to make warehouse automation more versatile and dynamic in a highly performant logistics industry. Though this festive season might take its toll on warehouse performance, the Smart Merchandise Picker is ready to order and set to better equip warehouses for facing seasonal demands – year round.

A live demonstration of the Smart Merchandise Picker will be available at 2022’s Logistica Next expo. Come meet the Smart Robotics team in Hall 3, C070, and bring your own merchandise items to pick and place it with the cobot! Logistica Next will be held at the Royal Dutch Jaarbeurs Exhibition and Convention Centre, Utrecht, the Netherlands, from 8 to 10 November 2022