XPO Robots Assist UK Workers With Holiday Volumes
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XPO Logistics has increased its use of robots in the United Kingdom in anticipation of holiday retail volumes, the Connecticut-based company said in a Nov. 19 news release.
The robots work alongside XPO’s employees to help manage inventory for distribution during the seasonal peak, according to XPO. The automation systems are manufactured by 6 River Systems Inc., part of global commerce company Shopify and one of XPO’s key robotics partners in the United States.
The autonomous, mobile robots work with employees and adapt quickly to changes in fulfillment, according to XPO. The robots guide employees to the correct inventory area, validate the items picked and transport them to designated packing stations.
The technology uses machine learning to double productivity rates and improve accuracy by as much as 40%, XPO said. Safety is enhanced by reducing repetitive employee movements and time spent walking.
Harik
Successful collaboration with 6 River Systems in the United States has led to a rollout of the robots at U.K. sites, said XPO Chief Information Officer Mario Harik said.
According to XPO, it invests approximately $550 million annually in innovation, with a global technology organization of 1,800 professionals. XPO’s corporate headquarters are in Greenwich, Conn., and its European headquarters are in Lyon, France.
XPO ranks No. 1 on the Transport Topics Top 50 list of the largest logistics companies in North America and No. 3 on the Transport Topics Top 100 list of the top for-hire carriers in North America. — Transport Topics
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