The Rapid Evolution of AI in the Warehouse
Summary
TLDRIn this discussion, Gina Chung, VP of Corporate Development at Locust Robotics, explores how AI is revolutionizing warehouse operations. She highlights AI's role in network optimization, efficiency, and the rise of intelligent physical assets like autonomous robots. Chung emphasizes the varying speeds of AI adoption and the importance of patience and safety in deployment. She also touches on the future of warehouse automation and Locust Robotics' AI-powered robots that adapt to dynamic environments, with a focus on their business intelligence platform, Locus Hub.
Takeaways
- 🤖 AI is transforming warehouse operations by improving network optimization and efficiency through AI models.
- 🏭 AI-powered physical assets like autonomous forklifts and robots are becoming more prevalent in warehouses.
- 📈 Analytics and reporting in warehouses are becoming smarter with the help of generative AI and chatbots.
- 🚀 The adoption of AI in warehouses is moving at different speeds, with some areas like AI models being more established than physical assets like robots.
- 🌐 AI's broader application in warehouses includes various tools beyond just one type of robot or application.
- 🔍 Generative AI is still in early stages for robotics, with potential for significant impact yet to be fully realized.
- 📉 The initial deployment of AI in warehouses requires patience as the system learns and becomes more accurate over time.
- 🛑 Safety is a critical consideration when deploying AI-powered robots, requiring robust testing and change management processes.
- 🔄 AI enables flexible movement in warehouses with constantly changing layouts, unlike traditional automation which relies on fixed paths.
- 👷♂️ The future of warehouses likely won't be completely devoid of people, but will instead use AI to augment the existing workforce.
- 🌟 Locust Robotics exemplifies the integration of AI, with their robots being powered by an AI autonomy stack that allows for intelligent navigation and decision-making.
Q & A
What is the primary role of AI in transforming traditional warehouse operations?
-AI is driving value in warehouses by optimizing network and warehouse operations through AI models, improving efficiency and performance, as well as powering physical assets like autonomous robots and enhancing analytics and reporting.
How is AI different in the warehouse environment compared to previous years?
-AI has evolved from being a niche technology to a widespread tool that is more advanced and integrated into various aspects of warehouse operations, including robotics, computer vision, and generative AI.
What are the different areas where AI is applied in the warehouse?
-AI is applied in network optimization, warehouse optimization, robotics, computer vision systems, and analytics and reporting within the warehouse.
What is the current stage of generative AI in warehouse robotics?
-Generative AI in robotics is still in its early stages, with ongoing exploration to understand its full potential and application in warehouse operations.
What are the challenges faced when implementing AI in a warehouse?
-Challenges include the initial need for a lot of data and time for AI models to become accurate, ensuring safety, and managing change to ensure that workers can interact effectively with AI-powered systems.
How long does it typically take for AI to become effective in a warehouse?
-The time varies depending on the application, but for robotics, it can be deployed relatively quickly. For other applications like stationary computer vision systems, it might take weeks to months to build and refine the model.
What is the importance of change management when deploying AI in a warehouse?
-Change management is crucial for ensuring that the AI system is implemented safely and effectively. It involves joint responsibility between the vendor and the customer, including training and creating a supportive culture.
How does AI address challenges in warehouses more effectively than traditional automation?
-AI enables flexible movement and adaptation in constantly changing warehouse environments, unlike traditional automation which often requires fixed paths and infrastructure.
Is there a future where warehouses are completely devoid of human workers?
-While there are some warehouses approaching minimal human presence, it is the exception rather than the norm. Most warehouses will continue to use automation to augment their workforce rather than replace it entirely.
How does Locust Robotics fit into the AI in warehouse landscape?
-Locust Robotics' robots are powered by a strong AI autonomy stack, making them intelligent agents capable of perceiving their environment and making decisions. They are also developing a business intelligence platform called Locus Hub to provide actionable insights from operational data.
What is the significance of the Locus Hub platform?
-Locus Hub is a business intelligence platform that harnesses data from Locust Robotics' robots to deliver actionable insights to customers, helping them manage their operations, robots, and workforce more effectively.
Outlines
🤖 AI in Warehouse Automation
In this conversation, Gina Chung, Vice President of Corporate Development at Locust Robotics, discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on warehouse operations. She highlights how AI models are optimizing supply chain efficiency and how AI-powered physical assets like autonomous robots are transforming traditional warehouse operations. Gina also touches on the advancements in analytics and reporting made possible by generative AI and chatbot technologies. She emphasizes that while AI is evolving rapidly, its adoption varies across different applications, with some areas like robotics being more mature than others like computer vision systems. The discussion also covers the challenges of implementing AI in warehouses, including the need for initial data and time for AI models to become accurate, and the importance of safety and change management when deploying AI-powered systems.
🛠️ Integrating AI with Warehouse Operations
The second paragraph delves deeper into the practical aspects of integrating AI in warehouse operations. Gina Chung explains the collaborative approach needed between vendors and customers to ensure successful implementation of AI solutions. She stresses the importance of training programs and creating a supportive culture for the technology. The conversation then shifts to how AI addresses challenges in warehouses more effectively than traditional automation, with Gina noting that AI enables robots to navigate dynamic warehouse environments. Gina also discusses the future of warehouses, suggesting that while some may become highly automated, human involvement will still be crucial. Lastly, she introduces Locust Robotics' role in this space, emphasizing their AI-powered robots' ability to make intelligent decisions and navigate obstacles autonomously. Gina also mentions their investment in a business intelligence platform, Locus Hub, which leverages data from their robots to provide actionable insights to customers.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)
💡Warehouse Optimization
💡Autonomous Mobile Robots
💡Generative AI
💡Network Optimization
💡Supply Chain Operations
💡AI Powered Physical Assets
💡Adoption
💡Change Management
💡Robotic Systems
💡Locus Robotics
Highlights
AI is transforming traditional warehouse operations by optimizing network and warehouse efficiency.
AI-powered physical assets like autonomous forklifts and mobile robots are enhancing warehouse operations.
Generative AI and chatbots are making analytics and reporting smarter and more digestible.
AI adoption is moving at different speeds across various warehouse operations.
AI requires significant data and time to become familiar with a warehouse's SKS and environment.
Safety and change management are critical when deploying AI-powered robotics in warehouses.
The time for AI to learn in a warehouse can vary from weeks to months depending on the application.
Change management is a joint responsibility between the vendor and the customer for successful technology adoption.
AI addresses challenges in warehouses more effectively than traditional automation by adapting to constantly changing environments.
The future of warehouses may not involve no people at all, but rather a combination of automation and human workforce.
Locust Robotics' robots are powered by AI, making them intelligent agents capable of perceiving their environment and making decisions.
Locust Robotics has over 13,000 robots in operation, navigating constantly shifting warehouse environments.
Locus Robotics is investing in its business intelligence platform, Locus Hub, to deliver actionable insights from operational data.
AI in warehouses is about using automation to augment the existing workforce and scale up operations.
Gina Chung emphasizes that AI is broader than just one application and includes a variety of tools for the warehouse.
The adoption of AI-powered physical assets like robots is still in its earlier stages.
Generative AI is in its early stages of development for robotics, with potential for actionable insights.
Transcripts
[Music]
the evolution of artificial intelligence
in the warehouse is the topic of my
conversation today with Gina Chung she
is Vice President of corporate
development with Locust robotics hi Gina
hi Bob how are you doing great thank you
so much for being with me today what do
you see as the evolving application of
AI or artificial intelligence how is it
transforming traditional Warehouse
operations driving value in the
warehouse what's going on yes so I think
the um world that we live in is AI
powered intelligent Assets in the
warehouse but there's actually so many
more areas where AI is driving value for
warehouse operators take for example um
AI models that can help improve Network
optimization uh Warehouse optimization
nothing to do with physical assets but
purely these U models can improve the
efficiency and performance of your
supply chain operations um you then have
this other bucket which is um all the AI
powered physical Assets in the warehouse
whether it's autonomous for Cliffs
autonomous mobile robots um even
humanoid robots um as well as then all
the um analytics and reporting that is
now becoming much smarter and much more
digestible through um you know things
like generative Ai and chat gbt seems to
be moving so fast I mean just the term
AI means something so different than it
used to be in years past so these things
you're just telling me about is this a
it sounds like a pretty recent
development that has been applied across
such a wide spectrum of operations is
that true I would say those different
buckets are moving at different speeds
so you know I've been evaluating and
deploying AI Technologies for over 10
years and the algorithms and the AI
models that's been in place for many
years um it's now becoming more
widespread and and that AI itself is be
becoming more advanced but that I find
has already been established in many
Supply chains around the world um but
then you look at you know AI powered
physical assets be it robots or um you
know computer vision systems that's
still in its earlier stages of adoption
so um adoptions moving at different
speeds but I always like to emphasize
that AI is so much broader than just one
thing or one robot application it's a
number of different kind of tools in the
warehouse but has generative AI been a
real step change have you seen that as
being a real radical difference in the
application of AI in the warehouse um in
robotics I think it's in still very
early stages um just because it's I
think an AI for robotics is more about
how can you make the robot Smarter with
navigation and whatnot generative it's
in early stages of figuring out what
that actually means um for operators
like us um but I think yeah time will
tell exactly how it feeds into the world
of you know Robotics and AI in the
warehouse um I do think that it's
already very interesting and I've seen
some um early proof of concepts of using
generative AI to produce actionable
insights um out of the analytics and
reporting that comes out well you paint
a very exciting picture gan but I'm
wondering what are some of the
challenges and considerations in
actually applying this technology in the
warehouse yeah so I always like to say
that the the worst day for AI is the
first day um because it needs a lot of
data it needs a lot of time for the
models to get more and more accurate um
so those are some of the key
considerations when you're deploying for
example um an AI powered robotic system
or computer vision system the AI is not
going to be familiar with your SKS or
your Warehouse environment so it takes
time for that AI to become more
intelligent um so I would say you know
that initial patience that you need to
make sure that the system gets deployed
it's learning before it reaches the
level that you want I think that's
critical um and then from a safety
perspective if you're deploying AI
powered robotics in your Warehouse um
you better make sure that it's robust um
you know exactly what it's doing you've
implemented change management processes
so workers know how to interact with AI
powered robots um it's less critical if
the robots you know a small kind of
payload robot but when you're talking
about autonomous forkless um and AI
powered assets that are moving heavy
items you just want to make sure that
it's been tested robust um under every
scenario before it's put into an
environment with people yeah you say it
takes time to learn of course is it
possible to generalize how long a
typical Warehouse depends on the depends
on the application um I think robotics
where we are at the moment um it can be
plugged away pretty quickly it's robust
it's proven um other areas where it's
more kind of in early stages of adoption
um for example you're putting a um
computer system stationary system system
in your Warehouse that's powered by AI
to detect SKS or detect damages um that
might take a couple of months uh weeks
and months um to yeah build up the model
and make sure that it's hitting the
performance that you want you alluded to
change management which is an essential
aspect in bringing technology into an
operation how how are we dealing with
that today do you think that the
warehouses are doing a good job of of
getting people to accept this technology
or are there still challenges and issues
going forward I think the uh when it
comes to change management it's a joint
responsibility between the vendor and
the customer so it's not hey here's my
solution you go off and implement it it
needs to be a joint approach between the
vendor customer to say hey this solution
works this way um it's not going to be
following a set path um you know it
might have some um aspects of safety
that you need to consider and make sure
that you have a training program in
place um and a culture behind it to make
sure that the system and the people that
are working around the system um are
working in harmony um so that's a that's
a key consideration for deploying these
system so how does AI address these
challenges in the warehouse more
effectively than traditional automation
type Solutions that's a great question I
think um you know if I rewinded 10 years
ago um you know what did we see inside
warehouses we saw you know AGS following
very fixed paths around the warehouse um
you needed a lot of infrastructure to
support you know smart assets in a in a
warehouse environment now ai it's
perfectly geared to solve uh but to to
be in environments where it's constantly
changing so you know lay out are now
constantly changing in warehouses you've
racking here you're taking it out you're
constantly shifting and AI powered
assets um for example robotics we're
able to navigate these constantly
changing environments we're able to
remap relocalize um you know we're able
to navigate around pallets that have
been strewn across an aisle uh one hour
to the next so AI has been a real
enabler for um flexible movement of
Automation in the warehouse but it's
getting smarter and as you say it's
being applied to more and more things
within a warehouse what is the end game
there do you see a future of no people
at all in a warehouse well I'm going to
say this like there are warehouses where
we're so close to no people but that is
the exception and not the norm know
globally there's you know hundreds of
thousands of different warehouses and
different size scale SKS that are
handled volumes um and there really
isn't going to be one solution that's
going to automate the entire Warehouse
um so I think um you'll have those big
box warehouses um you know they'll be
they'll have the capital to invest in
having more automation more kind of
Lights Out environments but for a lot of
warehouses it's still about how can we
use automation to augment our existing
Workforce scale up our operations um but
I think people will be still a key key
part of the the process Junior I really
appreciate you're bringing us up to date
on the application of AI and Automation
in warehouses today thank you very much
for that can I take a moment to ask you
specifically though about Locust
robotics how do you folks fit into this
picture yes so um we like to say without
AI there is no Locus so our robots are
fundamentally powered by a powerful AI
autonomy stack so our robots um are
intelligent agents they're able to
perceive the environment around them
they take decisions on their own um so
we'll give our robots the task you know
hey you should go to this picko um in
the warehouse if there's an obstacle if
there's some sort of other um um you
know hazard in the way it'll reroute
itself and take decisions maybe it'll
skip to the next pck so we have
developed these intelligent agents um
over 13,000 in operations today uh that
enables us to navigate these Warehouse
environments that are constantly
shifting with ease um so that's one of
our biggest applications of AI is in our
robots robots themselves um and then now
uh we're moving uh you might have just
seen a press release um this week uh
where we're investing heavily into our
business intelligence platform called
Locus Hub uh we're now taking all of
that you know powerful data that we're
getting from our 13,000 robots um
operational data and harnessing that to
deliver actionable insights I mentioned
earlier to our customers um so that they
can easily manage um their operations
robots people um as well as other
customer requirements again Gina thank
you so much for your insights into AI in
the warehouse as well as telling us a
little bit about Locus robotics as well
thanks very much for being with me today
thank you Bob thanks for having me I
have been speaking with Gina Chun of
locust robotics thank you very much for
watching
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