Kiva Systems - science communications GmbH...KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse: A Revolution in...

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KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse: A Revolution in Material Handling

Transcript of Kiva Systems - science communications GmbH...KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse: A Revolution in...

Page 1: Kiva Systems - science communications GmbH...KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse: A Revolution in Material Handling Founders: Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman, and Raffaello D’Andrea

KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse:

A Revolution in Material Handling

Page 2: Kiva Systems - science communications GmbH...KIVA SYSTEMS The Intelligent Warehouse: A Revolution in Material Handling Founders: Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman, and Raffaello D’Andrea

This is not your typical warehouse. Here, human operators stand still, while the products come to them.

When Offi ce Depot, an enterprise with $ 12 billion in revenue, scrutinized the market for a fl exible and effi cient goods-to-person picking solution for its new distribution center in Newville, Pennsylvania, it arrived at the conclusion that a system consisting of mobile stacks that are moved by 300 robots would best serve its purposes. The robots made it possible to reduce the order cycle from 2 hours to 20 minutes, while the travel time of the associates dropped from 7 miles per shift to less than half a mile.

Robust robots, powerful algorithms

Kiva uses a simple set of equipment and powerful control software to provide a complete order fulfi llment solution. Instead of being stored in static shelving, fl ow racks or carousels, products are stored in inventory pods in the center of the warehouse while operators stand at

inventory stations around the perimeter. When an order is received, robotic drive units retrieve the right pods and bring them to the worker, who picks out the appropriate item and places it in the carton. Completed orders are stored on separate pods, ready to get up and move to the loading dock when the truck arrives. A suite of algorithms, sensors on the drive units and custom control software allow the vehicles to safely navigate the warehouse. Coordination is aided by a hierarchical architecture similar to what is used in air traffi c control systems. The drive units share information about their environment and use that knowledge to adapt. As a result, the performance of the vehicles, and hence the system, improves over time. In addition, adaptation and learning ensure that the system is robust to changes in the environment.

KIVA SYSTEMS

The Intelligent Warehouse:A Revolution in Material Handling

Founders:Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman, and Raffaello D’Andrea

www.kivasystems.com

Raffaello D’Andrea is a professor at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where he and his research team turn ideas and theory into function as they design, model and build autonomous dynamic systems. Their work ranges from fun creation for its own sake, such as acrobatic fl ying machines, to innovations with direct utility, such as automated warehouses operated by fl eets of mobile robots.

For more information please visit www.raffaello.name.