Inside the Future of Logistics: Why Every Manufacturer Needs Autonomous Industrial Robots

Automation and technology adoption in logistics and material movement has now become a must-have, rather than a nice-to-have. With global supply chains becoming increasingly complex and customer expectations for speed and reliability skyrocketing, manufacturers are under tremendous pressure to optimize and digitize each step of their logistics chain. 

Hachidori Robotics is an autonomous mobile robots company that is playing a vital role in making India an automation leader globally. In this blog, we discuss the evolution of logistics automation, the logistics pain points manufacturers face today, and why every manufacturer must adopt Industrial Robots for smarter and faster material movement solutions.

The Evolution of Industrial Robots in Logistics 

Industrial robots have come a long way in their journey. The earliest automation in logistics consisted of simple, fixed-path Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). These machines were limited in their capabilities and also required a lot of infrastructure changes to be made in the factory floor. The introduction of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs), such as those offered by Hachidori Robotics has changed the game.

Hachidori Robotics is a startup company founded in 2019 and based in Bangalore. They have quickly risen to become a leader in the automation industry in India. Their AMRs are used for movement of goods and materials quickly, efficiently, and reliably inside factories and warehouses and are deployed by industries such as automotive, FMCG, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and general manufacturing. The company has a strong culture of innovation and holds three patents. The core technology that Hachidori Robotics is most proud of is its Indoor GPS Navigation system that provides a positioning accuracy of ±10 mm.

The company has created a unique and patented Wireless Natural Navigation technology that lets Hachidori robots work harmoniously in dynamic environments, while accurately detecting and avoiding obstacles for timely and precise delivery of materials. 

Hachidori currently offers five variants of its AMRs, namely tugger, lift and move, dock and convey, pallet solution. Each of these robots are designed to solve specific problems related to moving materials in different industrial applications, ranging from moving heavy pallets to interfacing with Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS).

The Logistics Pain Points Manufacturers Face and Why They Need Automation

Some of the pain points manufacturers currently face are:

• Logistics delays: Moving materials and goods is still done manually in many parts of the world. This is slow, inefficient, and prone to error and bottlenecking.

• Inventory mismanagement: Manual material movement means that inventories are not properly tracked or monitored in real-time leading to frequent stock-outs and overstocking.

• High labor dependency: Rising labor costs and shortage of skilled labor in this area is also a big challenge with manual logistics operations.

• Scalability issues: Manual systems and equipment are not very scalable to meet rapid growth or seasonal variations in demand.

Logistics automation with AMRs is a direct solution to all the above problems. Hachidori’s robots are capable of working 24×7 to greatly reduce lead times and achieve highly consistent and reliable material movement. They also have several layers of safety and obstacle detection systems built in to avoid human errors and accidents while also being able to be customized to your specific needs with real-time data integration capabilities that can help with inventory and process optimization.

Key Metrics and Competitive Advantages 

• Patented indoor GPS navigation technology with positioning accuracy of ±10 mm

• Able to handle load capacities from 200 kg to up to 1.5 tons with a single robot

• Easy deployment and operation, with non-technical employees being able to operate these robots with minimal training

• Partnerships with other major players in industries such as Craftsman Automation who have validated the Hachidori robotics solutions

• $3 million raised in recent funding and upcoming international expansion plans indicate strong market trust and growth in the segment.

AMR Applications Across Industries in the Supply Chain

Hachidori Robotics’ AMRs find use in a variety of industries that have diverse and unique logistics requirements, some of which are listed below:

• Automotive: Logistics and movement of heavy components and finished goods within assembly lines and between storage locations.

• FMCG: Fast, hygienic, and reliable transport of perishable and non-perishable items with minimum human intervention.

• Electronics Manufacturing: Handling of delicate and sensitive electronic components with care.

• Pharmaceuticals: Compliance and traceability of material movement. 

• Warehousing: Integrating with ASRS and other warehouse automation systems for infeed/outfeed, cross-docking, order fulfillment etc.

The key feature here is their Dock and Convey AMR which provides a critical missing link in the otherwise highly automated ASRS based warehouses. The Lifting Solution AMR is used for movement of heavy pallets, while the Tugger and Pallet variants are used for dedicated transport tasks within factories and warehouses.

Real-World Impact and Benefits 

A few of the real-world benefits of using Hachidori Robotics AMRs in industry include:

• Reduced lead times and faster production cycles and order fulfillment.

• Lower operating costs with minimal manual intervention required.

• Enhanced worker safety with 2D LiDAR, lower speed of travel, and emergency stop options.

• Scalable to your operations with modular, customizable robots that can fit any kind of production or warehouse size and change with you as you scale up or down.

The Future of Robotics in Logistics 

Robotics in logistics is evolving and will continue to evolve in many different ways. Some of the future trends which Hachidori Robotics is currently working on are:

• Integration and interoperability with robots from other vendors: Hachidori is working on solutions that would allow their AMRs to coordinate and work alongside robots from other vendors, in a similar way that a traffic management system works to coordinate and optimize the movement of autonomous vehicles on the road.

• Outdoor navigation of AMRs: Hachidori is also working on outdoor navigation solutions for their robots to take AMRs beyond the factory and into open yards.

• AI-driven optimization: Future Hachidori robots will be driven by artificial intelligence for even better route optimization, predictive maintenance, and autonomous decision making.

• User-centric design: With a focus on simplicity and intuitiveness of their robot operation and management interfaces, Hachidori will continue to work towards making their robots accessible to even the least technical of users.

Industrial robots are here to stay and automation is the only way to future proof logistics. With their world-class AMRs and a proven track-record in solving logistics delays, inventory mismanagement, labor dependency, and scalability problems, Hachidori Robotics is the right partner for any manufacturer that is serious about adopting autonomous industrial robots.

Ready to take the next step? Contact Hachidori Robotics today to schedule a demo or request a brochure and see for yourself how the robotics company can help you optimize material movement in your operations.

Adopt Industrial Robots for Smarter Logistics. Don’t get left behind by your competitors. Get in touch with Hachidori Robotics today to know more about how the autonomous industrial robots company can help you improve your material movement, and make your supply chain more efficient and competitive.