New Autonomous Warehouse Robot Sets Out to Challenge Forklifts

San Jose-based robotics company Fetch announced in a press release its new PalletTransport1500, a machine it describes as "an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) that supports cross-docking." The PalletTransport1500 is a square-like short robot and its goal is to replace forklifts in warehouses. The system was developed with Honeywell Intelligrated’s Momentum warehouse software.

Our new autonomous warehouse robot is designed to replace forklifts—which are involved in about 100K accidents every year.

Meet PalletTransport1500, designed to sport payloads of up to 2,504 pounds ??

See it in action: https://t.co/kjyTKR4Yuy pic.twitter.com/pmow5B00zG

— Fetch Robotics (@FetchRobotics) January 29, 2021

The firm claims that forklifts are safety risks and that growing order volumes and accelerated order cycle times have forced firms to use them more often resulting in potentially dangerous accidents. This is where the PalletTransport1500 comes in.

“Even the most well-managed distribution centers are struggling to keep up with the ongoing growth of e-commerce, which is putting tremendous stress on facilities and warehouse associates to move goods in and out of facilities at record speed,” said in a statement Fetch Chief Product Officer Stefan Nusser.

“By combining Fetch’s new PalletTransport1500 with Honeywell Intelligrated’s Momentum warehouse execution system (WES), distribution and fulfillment centers will now be able to orchestrate every aspect of automated warehouse execution for maximum facility efficiency and safety.”

The new warehouse robot conforms with the new ANSI/RIA R15.08 standard for autonomous mobile robots and is designed to address e-commerce fulfillment challenges. This is because the PalletTransport1500 can successfully manage long-haul material transport without any need for human interference. This frees up workers to focus on more value-added useful activities.

"To compete in the fast-paced, high-stakes world of e-commerce, modern distribution and fulfillment center operations are introducing increasing levels of automation. Too often these automated systems operate independently, performing very discrete tasks and processes,” said Thomas Evans, CTO of Honeywell Robotics.

“This collaboration with Fetch to have a turnkey solution with Momentum gives those in the e-commerce industry a competitive advantage that will optimize productivity, increase operational safety, and provide a significant return on investment."