Wise Robotics, a warehouse automation solutions company, is now working with vision-guided autonomous robotic forklift company VisionNav to make UK operations more efficient.
The collaboration means VisionNav’s technology will be available as part of the Wise Robotics range. This will help UK operators boost order fulfilment and reduce the ongoing costs associated with running a warehouse in the face of well-documented supply chain challenges, says Wise Robotics.
Set up in 2016 by The University of Hong Kong and The University of Tokyo, VisionNav supplies warehouse robots which use vision-based intelligence to automate materials handling, storage and retrieval. This makes its automated forklift models adaptable to a business’ existing warehouse layout, and much easier to deploy.
Currently, its solutions are used by 150 businesses in eight countries around the world.
Head of robotics at Wise Robotics Joe Daft believes the two company’s values and strategic plans align, and the partnership will enable warehouse and logistics leaders to access an even greater set of transformational capabilities.
“VisionNav is at the cutting edge of vision-based autonomous robotic forklifts, and its technology is tremendously exciting,” he says.
“We know the demand for automation in the UK warehouse market continues to grow as businesses seek to find solutions to labour and order fulfilment challenges. There’s no one-way-fits-all approach when it comes to automation in the warehouse and that’s why partnerships like this between providers can bring major benefits to the market and our networks,” he tells Machinery Update.
“Our plan is to continually grow the range of automated solutions we can offer to warehouses in the UK, and our strategic collaboration with VisionNav is another exciting step in our journey.”
VisionNav’s director of sales, Europe Jason Zhang, says the partnership demonstrates the growing range of options for logistics businesses looking to bring automation into their operations. “Faced with labour shortages and the sharp increase in health risks, the challenge of the logistics and supply chain system to turn to automation is more urgent than before,” he says. “The flexibility and scalability of the mobile robots are also higher in order to adapt to the changing and diversified market needs.”