Ocado Intelligent Automation Opens Solutions Hub in Dallas, Texas to Showcase Proven Intelligent Warehouse Fulfillment at Scale

Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) has opened its new North American Solutions Hub in Dallas, Texas. Supply chain leaders from 22 U.S. and Canadian companies attended the opening of the facility on Tuesday, October 21st to see the company's Ocado Storage and Retrieval System (OSRS), Chuck Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), and OCADEX On-Grid Robotic Pick Systems operating in real time.

"Seeing the automation systems operate live at the OIA Solutions Hub can create those 'a-ha moments' that help companies visualize how modern, AI-driven robotics can transform their own operations," said Monique Apter, Chief Revenue Officer of OIA. "The Solutions Hub is a one-stop-shop where you can see what each OIA technology can do for your specific application."

The Ocado Storage and Retrieval System – Moving at the Speed of Supply

The first thing visitors see at the hub is the OSRS demonstrating unmatched density and throughput speed. For warehouses and distribution centers shipping more than 5,000 order lines a day and more than 10,000 SKUs, the Automated Storage and Retrieval System (ASRS) from Ocado Intelligent Automation revolutionizes fulfillment operations with best-in-class efficiency, reliability, and scalability. As the fastest, densest cubic storage technology available, the OSRS is ideal for high-throughput fulfillment operations in the pharmaceutical, healthcare, retail apparel, and third-party logistics sectors, among others.

The OSRS system at the Solutions Hub features:

• A 12-by-12-by-12 cell grid built on an ultra-light frame with Ocado's patented, single-cell design that allows robots to pass each other unobstructed, reducing robot fleet congestion and ensuring high availability and stock access.
• Six OSRS Robots that move efficiently over the grid fetching inventory totes and dropping them off at the pick station or to one of the On-Grid Robotic Pick arms for order assembly.
• A high-speed Battery Swap Unit (BSU) where a robotic arm refreshes robot batteries to maximize robot uptime and availability.
• Two OCADEX On-Grid Robotic Pick arms that manipulate stock items with dexterity just as a human would, handling individual eaches as well as learning how to grasp and handle new item sets in real time using AI-powered reinforcement learning algorithms. Using advanced sensors and machine vision, the robotic pick arms identify, pick, pack, and organize items up to 630 units per hour and seven orders at a time.

"At the Solutions Hub, people can get a glimpse of the OSRS' capabilities and envision scaling the system to their individual business requirements," adds Apter. "That may be an automation system that processes 10,000 or 100,000 SKUs, or a grid that fills the whole warehouse floor."

Chuck AMR Doubles Manual Pick Rates and Lowers Cost Per Pick

The hub replicates aisles of a pick and pack fulfillment center where visitors can use a Chuck AMR just like a warehouse associate would. Move through aisles efficiently with Chuck AMR's self-directed picking methodology as it uses vision and sensor systems to move swiftly around boxes and racks, to expedite picking, putaway, sorting, and return tasks, while minimizing walking and eliminating the need to memorize pick locations.

During the demo, people can experience the following elements of the Chuck AMR, part of the Ocado Mobile Robot System (OMRS):

• Print order labels and use the touch screen to identify product picks.
• Find the location of items and bins in the aisles and use the mobile app to manage oversized, bulky, or unconventional items.
• Transition between pick modes in real time to evaluate the difference between a sweep or tag team approach.
• Configure the Chuck AMR with accessories to increase productivity and flexibility.
• Experience the ergonomic features that help make an associate's job easier.
• Use the Mobile Fulfillment App, designed to bring powerful system-directed picking and optimization capabilities to handheld devices for bulky or out-of-reach inventory items.
• Learn how OIA's Fulfillment Execution Software, which orchestrates the operations of AMR fleets in real time, combining data from multiple sources to continuously optimize a suite of operational workflows.
• Explore how it integrates with other automated equipment like baggers and on-demand box makers.
  
  

Come to Dallas – Stay for a Demo

The OIA Solutions Hub is strategically located in Dallas-Fort Worth, just 20 minutes from DFW International Airport. Dallas is the number one distribution market in the U.S. and home to 613 million square feet of total distribution and warehousing space, according to Commercial Search.

With meeting rooms accommodating up to 24 people, the OIA Solutions Hub can host training sessions, workshops, and customer strategy sessions, in addition to live technology demonstrations.

For more information and to book a tour, visit https://info.ocadointelligentautomation.com/oia-solutions-hub.

About Ocado Intelligent Automation

Ocado Intelligent Automation (OIA) is a division of Ocado Group, a U.K.-based technology company publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange (OCDO). Ocado Intelligent Automation was created to deliver proprietary, world-class systems and solutions developed and acquired by Ocado to non-grocery business segments looking to transform the supply chain order fulfillment process with a comprehensive technology partner. OIA has teams of technologists and development centers around the globe including in Europe, North America, and Scandinavia.