A question that each and every team will face when they want to automate the warehouse system, is how to determine the difference between system-directed and swarm robots.
Both of these technologies are examples of collaborative mobile robots, which work in tandem with your colleagues. These systems aim to boost production by decreasing unnecessary walking and physical labor, speeding up processes, and reducing training time when compared to manual cart picking.
Both methods have advantages over cart-based picking, although there are considerable disparities between them.
Let’s define each robotic strategy before comparing and contrasting methodologies.
Swarming Robots
Multiple robots work together to solve issues in swarm robotics, generating advantageous structures and behaviors similar to those seen in natural systems. Swarming robots usually congregate at a certain pick area and wait for an associate to complete the task.
Order selections, cycle counts, and replenishment chores are all common uses for this technology.
System-directed Robots
Swarming robots, like system-directed picking robots, are groups of little devices that collect goods off shelves by moving around the floor. The difference is in the way they work.
The colleagues are usually doing a series of sequential picks with the same robot, which can be divided down into standard zones or use more modern technology like dynamic zoning. Order picking, batch picking, cycle counting, and replenishment chores are all common uses for this technology.
When is it appropriate to choose direct picking over swarming?
Because there are times when one robotic approach is more effective than the other, the two robotic approaches exist. In some cases, such as small, dense picking operations or wide-aisle pallet picking, swarming robots can be advantageous.
Operation Scaling
The square footage of a warehouse and the number of pickers on the floor are usually directly proportional in any operation. As warehouses grow in size, you may expect to see more pickers. However, between directed picking and swarming designs, the connection of space to pickers and space to robots is not the same.
The square footage of a warehouse and the number of pickers on the floor are usually directly proportional in any operation. As warehouses grow in size, you may expect to see more pickers. However, between directed picking and swarming designs, the connection of space to pickers and space to robots is not the same.
Worker Productivity
One of the most important benefits of a directed workflow is the opportunity to track and influence your coworkers’ productivity. Following the elimination of “the long walk,” the time between selections is the second most significant cause of lost production. As a result, the time between choices can be closely monitored and, in some cases, decreased.
When employees are left to their own devices, they are less predictable and take far longer to complete tasks. In directed workflows, the robot guides practically all of the partners’ movements and keeps them on pace.
The associates in a swarming strategy, on the other hand, are never steered between tasks.
Concluding It…
Collaborative robots are a key tool for modern fulfillment centers as volumes increase and labor becomes more difficult to come by. Both Directed Picking and Swarming robots have applications. Swarming robots can be particularly successful for small sites that are doing pallet picking with large aisles. There are substantial benefits to deploying directed picking robots as sites grow larger and pick face density increases.
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