Interoperability

WHILE THE ROBOTS, automated guided vehicles and fully autonomous equipment were the must-see exhibits at ProMat 2023 in Chicago last month, a rising category of software is gaining traction alongside the automated machinery.

An increasing number of software providers are offering the ability to coordinate autonomous equipment from different vendors into a single cohesive fleet. Their solutions promise to communicate seamlessly with all the diverse units you need in your operation, and link to your warehouse management, control or execution software.

This orchestration software offers numerous benefits for the warehouse operator. It can speed up the deployment of automation by eliminating the need for extra programming. They use simple, drag and drop interfaces that allow users to create fleets almost instantly.

It also means the DC can employ a shifting cast of robotic characters, depending on the volume and speed of orders being processed. In an era where companies getting robots as a service instead of buying them, allowing for a changing line-up, this means configuring your equipment to meet changing needs is that much easier.

Of course, to achieve this kind of agnostic fleet orchestration, the software has to be able to bridge between each vehicle’s unique operating system and communications protocols and the warehousing control system. Interoperability is the term the industry is using to describe the capacity for different units to communicate, and it’s a stumbling block that has not been completely overcome.

The industry struggles to even define the term, says TJ Fanning, chief operating officer of SVT Robotics, one of the companies offering an orchestration service. And while there are interoperability standards that some manufacturers are using, such as MassRobotics in the US and VDA 5050 in Europe, these have not yet been adopted across the board.

That leaves companies like SVT and its competitors still trying to figure out how to conquer the Babel that is robot communications. Being able to translate myriad robot languages so that they can talk to one another and the control software, surely opens up potential for more efficient operations.

President & Managing Partner | Delon Rashid Head of Sales & Managing Partner | Peter Bulmer

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This is a significant area of opportunity in the warehousing and intralogistics space, and it’s one that we will be following closely and reporting on as it evolves.