Following successful trials, up to 50 AI-controlled robots from the tech company Nomagic are being deployed across its Europe-wide logistics network to boost efficiency in sorting and packing.
A key component of the partnership is the automation of a previously difficult process: the handling of shoe boxes. Conventional robotic systems often fail due to loose lids that slip when lifted. The new ‘Shoebox Picker’ solves this problem through a combination of AI-powered image recognition and special grippers that secure the box from two sides. The technology recognises the shape and position of each box in real time and adapts the grip individually.
The robots handle the gripping, scanning and sorting of items. Thanks to “computer vision”, the system is constantly learning and adapting to the changing product range. This ensures high accuracy and short turnaround times in the complex logistics process.
“The trial phase has shown that Nomagic’s robotics are an excellent fit for our requirements,” says Marcus Daute, Vice President Logistics Network at Zalando. “Given the scale of our operations, we need intelligent automation that supports our processes. By transferring simple, repetitive tasks to AI-controlled robots, we achieve the operational excellence our partners expect, whilst also creating scope for the further development of our employees.”
Having already achieved peak figures of 100,000 picks per day in the pilot project, the system is now being scaled up. The first systems are already in operation at the sites in Lahr, Mönchengladbach and Verona. Further units will follow at the logistics centres in Rotterdam, Stockholm and Paris, as well as at the new site in Gießen, which is set to commence operations later this year.
