-
- News
- Books
Featured Books
- pcb007 Magazine
Latest Issues
Current IssueThe Growing Industry
In this issue of PCB007 Magazine, we talk with leading economic experts, advocacy specialists in Washington, D.C., and PCB company leadership to get a well-rounded picture of what’s happening in the industry today. Don’t miss it.
The Sustainability Issue
Sustainability is one of the most widely used terms in business today, especially for electronics and manufacturing but what does it mean to you? We explore the environmental, business, and economic impacts.
The Fabricator’s Guide to IPC APEX EXPO
This issue previews many of the important events taking place at this year's show and highlights some changes and opportunities. So, buckle up. We are counting down to IPC APEX EXPO 2024.
- Articles
- Columns
Search Console
- Links
- Events
||| MENU - pcb007 Magazine
AI-equipped Robots Help Logistics Industry to Fight Labor Shortages
March 13, 2024 | IFREstimated reading time: 2 minutes
The global logistics industry serves as a backbone of international trade - representing about 10 percent of the world´s GDP. As demand has been skyrocketing, companies have already heavily invested in robotics and automation: sales of professional service robots for the transportation of goods or cargo grew by 44% year-on-year (2021-2022). Yet, severe labor shortages are threatening to hamper future growth in the logistics industry worldwide. A new generation of AI-enabled robots helps to tackle these challenges – The International Federation of Robotics reports.
“Shortage of truck drivers, warehousing staff or dockworkers is a critical pressure on supply chain management worldwide,” says Marina Bill, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “By combining automation hardware with smart software, robot manufacturers deliver to the specific needs of the warehouse and logistics industry. AI-equipped robots offer tremendous new opportunities for this sector.”
AI-enabled robots learn to handle variability and unpredictability
The main aim of using AI in robotics is to better manage variability and unpredictability: logistics providers deal with a mass market of cross-border shipping, e-commerce or last-mile delivery. This environment handles frequently changing products, orders and stock. To make machines capable of supporting such flexible workflows, AI software runs by experience, rather than programming. These AI-equipped robots learn to pick and pack different objects at high speed in a warehouse, use vision to transport items autonomously around the factory and provide AI-driven interfaces that turn a 90-minute maintenance task into a two-second adjustment.
Shortage of 3 million truck drivers
For many logistics companies, the time to further automate is now. The worldwide shortage of truck drivers is one of many reasons: according to the International Road Transport Union (IRU), there are currently over 3 million truck driver positions to be filled worldwide. With the huge demographic gap between young and old drivers growing, driver shortages are forecast to double by 2028.
While the overall challenge of labor shortage is common across the logistical supply chain in Europe, Asia and the US, specific reasons and severity differ. New worktime regulations by governments force companies in Japan, for example, to further automate. In the United States, a special shortage of skilled logistics professionals in e-commerce warehouses needs technological support and in Germany, keeping older workers in employment to physically demanding roles requires better workplace conditions for these colleagues.
“Robotics technology is a fit for various tasks within the logistics industry. While service robots work alongside human personnel creating more efficient workplaces, industrial robots help to automate dirty, dull and dangerous tasks behind fences. The combined power of a wide range of applications in robotics and automation will play a crucial role in addressing workforce gaps and allow future growth in this key industry,” says Marina Bill.
Suggested Items
U.S. Companies Invest Heavily in Robots
04/30/2024 | IFRManufacturing companies in the United States have invested heavily in more automation: total installations of industrial robots rose by 12% and reached 44,303 units in 2023. Number one adopter is the car industry followed by the electrical and electronics sector.
Neura Robotics and OMRON Forge Strategic Alliance to Revolutionize the Manufacturing Industry with Cognitive Robots
04/16/2024 | BUSINESS WIRENeura Robotics, a global pioneer in cognitive robotics, and Omron Robotics and Safety Technologies Inc., a global leader in industrial robotics and automation, are excited to announce their strategic partnership.
Accenture Invests in Sanctuary AI to Bring AI-Powered, Humanoid Robotics to Work Alongside Humans
03/27/2024 | BUSINESS WIREAccenture has made a strategic investment, through Accenture Ventures, in Sanctuary AI, a developer of humanoid general-purpose robots that are powered by AI and can perform a wide variety of work tasks quickly, safely and effectively.
NEC Develops RAN Autonomous Optimization Technology that Dynamically Controls 5G Networks Based on User Terminal Status
02/16/2024 | JCN NewswireNEC Corporation has developed a RAN autonomous optimization technology that dynamically controls 5G Radio Access Networks (RAN) according to the status of each user terminal, dramatically improving the productivity of applications, such as the remote control of robots and vehicles. NEC will incorporate the technology into RAN Intelligent Controllers (RIC) and conduct demonstration tests using this technology by March 2025.
Top 5 Robot Trends 2024
02/15/2024 | IFRThe stock of operational robots around the globe hit a new record of about 3.9 million units. This demand is driven by a number of exciting technological innovations. The International Federation of Robotics reports about the top 5 automation trends in 2024: