An August through October 2023 Gartner survey of supply chain practitioners revealed that the best supply chain organizations are using productivity, rather than efficiency or cost savings, as their key focus to sustain business momentum over the next three years.
Adaptability and simplicity of integration into existing infrastructures are two qualities that continue to propel the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) markets, according to IndustryARC. At 22.6%, the consulting firm forecasts the Asia-Pacific region to experience the highest CAGR employed for both heavy- and light-duty work, to deliver supplies to human workers, and to conduct security and safety checks.
The Benchmark International 2024 Global Robotics Industry Report cites four trends that are impacting the use of robotics across automotive, manufacturing, healthcare, agriculture and domestic sectors. These include robot development with enhanced AI, better human-robot interaction, autonomous functionalities, and customisation of robotic solutions to meet specific needs.
To these lists, the International Federation of Robotics adds mobile manipulation, digital twins and humanoids as among their top robot trends in 2024.
All these trends are welcome news to those in the logistics, warehousing and manufacturing industries of Asia where issues such as labour shortages, productivity, and the increasing sophistication of the customer palate, are forcing businesses to look to the convergence of automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning as solving these problems before the next crises break loose.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) promise to bring about operational efficiency for businesses. Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) goes on to comment that the adoption of AMRs will allow businesses to optimise manpower through flexible deployments and focus on innovation.
The IMDA aims to drive the adoption of AMRs by enabling seamless operations in both indoor and outdoor spaces, collaborating with ecosystem partners and promoting international best practices.
Poi Toong Tang, VP of sales for APAC at Mobile Industrial Robots, believes that autonomous mobile robots solve some of these challenges. Reflecting on repetitive and mundane tasks commonly found on manufacturing floors and logistics environments, he posits these activities can be automated with AMRs.
AMRs can “help solve current labour shortages challenges, achieving the productivity especially when you want to get accurate quality delivery and precise output, I think the machine can do a good job with it,” he continued.
Autonomous over automated
Logistics giant, DHLsays AMRs when combined with artificial intelligence, machine learning, and enhanced sensor technology, can glide around today’s state-of-the-art warehouses. AMRs can independently learn their environment, navigate around obstacles, and communicate for maximum safety and efficiency.
Acknowledging that some of the earlier technologies have limitations, Tang opines that AMRs provide more benefits to the end customers. He says an AMR can perform a task without needing human intervention, solving the labour shortage.
He also comments that with space being a premium in many parts of Asia, AMRs are not encumbered by fixed routes that are commonly found with older technologies like automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
Integration of AMRs into existing operations
It should be noted that robot interoperability will be critical to the successful integration of new generations of AMRs into existing production floors. Tang says a company’s vision of what a manufacturing environment will look like is the starting point.
“What is that view or the goal of how the logistic warehouse should operate like to give better agility, better competitiveness to our customers,” he posits. “You need to set a goal and with a vision. You need a blueprint. You need a multi-year blueprint, test that blueprint using feasibility studies or proofs-of-concept (POC) or pilots before you scale.”
He concludes that AMR is about thinking big but starting small, and then scaling.
Where companies stumble in their AMR journey
Like many emerging technologies before it, organisations will need to tread carefully when considering the integration AMR into their operations. Looking at their customers, Tang concedes that customers who rush to deploy AMR stumble.
“They think that new technology is just like any other very mature traditional technology like an industrial robot, you're taking the waterfall approach, without any feasibility study, no proof-of-concept.
“They just write up the specs, open a tender bid for it, and if the suppliers bid for it and come in, and then eventually they may discover this is not exactly what they want.
“This becomes a problem. I always advise my customers to take their time, don't rush into it. For some of our customers from the day that they started to do a feasibility study or demo, all the way to doing a POC or a small pilot, it may be a years kind of period before they start discussing the scale. If you avoid that journey, then you run into problems,” he continued.
After the POC and first deployment
Post-deployment integration how does an organisation ensure that an AMR investment continues to deliver value even as the technology process and regulations people?
Tang believes that a blueprint needs to include ‘set KPIs’. “At the end of the day, a robot is a robot. It can be very fancy to the engineers. But if it doesn't bring value to the company, it doesn't bring a financial impact. It's not going to be good.
“Setting the right KPIs, with a clear plan of what you're trying to achieve with clear measurable goals within a specific time. Then it will truly bring benefit towards making sure that it will be successful, right? And halfway through if you start to see problems with the end state in mind, you can still twist and tweak and adjust and eventually still reach your goal.”
Tang believes that AI is going to have a positive impact to the world of AMRs. He believes AI will help make the robots even more intelligent. He cites the example of the MiR 1200 pallet jack, a robot that uses AI to determine and position itself to enter below the pallet and pick it up at the right spot. “That is AI technology helping it,” he adds.
Over time, as the machine learns the routine, Tang believes this will drive efficiency. “It helps the calculation to be much faster, the planning to be much faster, and therefore it reduces the cycle time to customers,” said Tang concluding that AMR will help businesses with their productivity.
Allan is Group Editor-in-Chief for CXOCIETY writing for FutureIoT, FutureCIO and FutureCFO. He supports content marketing engagements for CXOCIETY clients, as well as moderates senior-level discussions and speaks at events.
Previous Roles
He served as Group Editor-in-Chief for Questex Asia concurrent to the Regional Content and Strategy Director role.
He was the Director of Technology Practice at Hill+Knowlton in Hong Kong and Director of Client Services at EBA Communications.
He also served as Marketing Director for Asia at Hitachi Data Systems and served as Country Sales Manager for HDS’ Philippine. Other sales roles include Encore Computer and First International Computer.
He was a Senior Industry Analyst at Dataquest (Gartner Group) covering IT Professional Services for Asia-Pacific.
He moved to Hong Kong as a Network Specialist and later MIS Manager at Imagineering/Tech Pacific.
He holds a Bachelor of Science in Electronics and Communications Engineering degree and is a certified PICK programmer.
