Robotic picking takes hands-free picking to the next level by removing all human intervention. The progress made with robotic picking applications over the past few years has largely been centered around goods to person (G2P) distribution environments. Automation can now deliver the goods that need to be picked to a robot, rather than to a human operator. Historically, robots have been used to transport orders picked by people or to deliver goods to people who perform the picking.
Both of these methods eliminate the labor associated with operator travel; however, today’s robotic picking also eliminates the labor associated with picking—and the savings can be significant. Typically, the largest labor force in a warehouse or distribution center is the pickers, and it is estimated that the average picker spends more than 60% of their time traveling or walking. By automating goods to person, using hands-free and robotic picking, a business can substantially reduce its labor costs.
