The need to increase social distance stimulates logistical robotisation

his is the conclusion of several technology companies that guarantee that robotics allows to perform heavy 'intermediation' tasks that avoid physical contact and facilitate the work of operators. If the trend has already been consolidated in recent years, the health crisis will accelerate and stimulate a greater implementation of these teams and solutions.

Social distancing will not only affect forms of leisure, but will also force the creation of new work paradigms in logistics companies "the truth is that Covid-19 has appeared and we still don't know how long it will accompany us. Therefore, we must adopt new standards of social and work behaviour, prevention and hygiene that will allow us to work personally, despite the circumstances," says Siemens Logistics Spain. In specific, robotisation, automation and all kinds of technologies that allow remote working "have become critical tools to substantially reduce personnel risks", it adds. It therefore considers it essential that companies invest in technology to solve these problems.

As a Transport Intelligence (Ti Insights) report on the impact of Coronavirus on global logistics states, warehouse automation is far from a new concept. Unlike humans "automation systems do not get tired and, more importantly sometimes, are not susceptible to disease," the study reiterates. The ability to increase or decrease operations is crucial in situations like the one we are facing because demand is unpredictable and suppliers must be able to react quickly. In this sense, the robotics solution is essential, as they easily adapt to changing conditions or higher workloads.

Due to Coronavirus, many companies are looking to implement social distancing measures to minimise human contact as "robots are not susceptible to contracting the virus and are therefore an option to consider in the future to support warehousing operations."

However, robots also pose limitations and only perform the tasks or activities for which they are programmed. If an incident occurs within the warehouse, the robot cannot resolve the situation and instead must report any problems to the employees. They therefore rely on humans for some functions, such as repairs. The report further reports that "in the unlikely scenario of future pandemic and quarantine procedures, skilled engineers may not be able to travel to the site if there is a problem with the robots, affecting warehouse operations."

For its part, Robotnik, a company specialised in robotics and mobile manipulators, is currently working on solutions aimed at hospitals in order to reduce staff contact with patients, or to keep non-healthcare staff away from risk areas. In addition, it is also studying the implementation of robots to help automate tasks such as cleaning, disinfection, patient communication, food and patient transport, tele-medicine, among others.

This article is republished under the partnership between Nova SBE Executive Education and Supply Chain Magazine " Read the original article