Intelligent Logistics New Product Launch - Automatic Loading and Unloading Trucks

Since its development, ProMat exhibitions have gradually become a stage for robot performances. PROMAT is an international logistics and supply chain exhibition organized by the American Logistics and Supply Chain Association, and is one of the largest, most influential, and prestigious logistics industry exhibitions in the world. The 2023 PROMAT will be held from March 20th to 23rd at the Miami Exhibition Center in Chicago.

Nowadays, the logistics and automation industries are advancing side by side. In the decade since Amazon acquired Kiva, same-day delivery and next-day delivery have become industry standards. If those retailers cannot achieve such unimaginable speeds, they are bound to lag behind other companies, and to achieve such speeds, they need the help of robots.

The loading and unloading of trucks is an important aspect of combining intelligent logistics and automation, but this field has not received sufficient attention. Most of the solutions seen at this week's ProMat exhibition are focused on transporting goods from point A to point B along the warehouse floor.

At the exhibition, three companies proposed good solutions. Firstly, Agility provides the most user-friendly solution in the form of bipedal digital robots. Next is Boston Dynamics, which has been focusing on impressive robotics research for decades, represented by Stretch.

And the third place is the new company in this field - Pickle, a startup company born at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, which publicly showcased its container unloading robot for the first time on ProMat this morning. Since its establishment, Pickle has been studying the problems that arise in some special scenarios, and they have started trying to solve more complex container loading tasks.

Andrew Meyer, CEO of Pickle, said, "We believe that the task of loading containers is the most difficult issue and has not yet been well resolved. Before we invest millions of dollars in building a business around this idea, we hope to gain some attention and see how feasible it is

Realizing the loading and unloading of trucks is still Pickle's research route, but currently their focus is still on launching unloading solutions first, which is one of the most unpleasant roles for human workers in warehouse workshops. In addition to the physical burden on the body caused by lifting and moving heavy boxes at high speeds, storage containers are still exposed to the natural environment when parked, usually causing them to be extremely hot or cold inside. During the testing period, the Pickle system has been operating in containers with temperatures up to 115 degrees Celsius (California). On the other hand, temperatures below freezing point remain a daunting challenge.
The currently designed system is built around an improved Kuka arm, with a ready-made head structure. The head has been customized and can be transformed into a real empty head equivalent to a large foam head. Pneumatic suction is used to pick up objects weighing up to 65 pounds. The box itself does not have an indicator, so the onboard visual system and AI determine which box to select next and attach it to the side or top based on space limitations. It can pick up to 600 times per hour and then place them on nearby conveyor belts.

As early as 2021, Pickle raised $26 million. Meyer told TechCrunch that the startup is currently seeking to raise an additional $15 million to protect its track in the event of SVB's collapse. Meyer said: We have not collaborated with SVB, but everyone has connections. When such strange macroeconomic situations occur, our risk tolerance will decrease. We have discussed and decided to receive another payment from the bank. Regarding the next plan, we have now released Pick 1. Pick 2 and 3 will be launched in the following years. Currently, based on market size and gross profit margins of hardware and services, Pick LE 3 will definitely cause a significant increase in the entire business. If we can launch Pickle 3 into the market, we will be a cash driven enterprise