The Rapid Evolution of AI in the Warehouse

Summary

In 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

00:00

🤖 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.

05:00

🛠️ 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.

Keywords

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence refers to the simulation of human intelligence in machines that are programmed to think like humans and mimic their actions. In the context of the video, AI is transforming traditional warehouse operations by driving value through intelligent assets and optimizing supply chain operations. For example, Gina Chung mentions AI models improving network and warehouse optimization.

💡Warehouse Optimization

Warehouse Optimization involves improving the efficiency and performance of warehouse operations through strategic planning and execution. In the video, Gina Chung discusses how AI models can help improve warehouse optimization, suggesting that these models can enhance the efficiency of supply chain operations without directly interacting with physical assets.

💡Autonomous Mobile Robots

Autonomous Mobile Robots are self-directed robots capable of performing tasks with minimal human intervention. The script mentions these robots as an example of AI-powered physical assets in the warehouse, indicating that they can operate independently to perform tasks such as moving goods around the facility.

💡Generative AI

Generative AI is a form of AI that can create new content, such as text or images, based on existing data. In the video, Gina Chung suggests that generative AI is in its early stages in robotics, but it is being explored for producing actionable insights from analytics and reporting within a warehouse environment.

💡Network Optimization

Network Optimization refers to the process of improving the performance and efficiency of a network, such as a supply chain network. Gina Chung explains that AI models can help with network optimization, which is crucial for enhancing the overall efficiency of supply chain operations in a warehouse.

💡Supply Chain Operations

Supply Chain Operations involve the management of the flow of goods and services from the point of origin to the point of consumption. In the video, the discussion revolves around how AI is being used to drive value in these operations, making them more efficient and effective.

💡AI Powered Physical Assets

AI Powered Physical Assets are tangible items, such as robots or machinery, that are enhanced with AI capabilities to perform tasks more effectively. The script highlights the use of AI in powering physical assets like autonomous forklifts and mobile robots within the warehouse.

💡Adoption

Adoption in this context refers to the process of implementing and integrating new technologies, such as AI, into existing systems. Gina Chung notes that different aspects of AI are being adopted at different speeds, with some technologies like AI-powered robots being in earlier stages of adoption.

💡Change Management

Change Management is the process of preparing, supporting, and helping individuals and organizations to cope with changes by introducing new methods or technologies. In the video, Gina Chung emphasizes the importance of joint responsibility between vendors and customers in managing changes when implementing AI-powered systems in warehouses.

💡Robotic Systems

Robotic Systems are automated machines capable of carrying out complex tasks. The script discusses the deployment of AI-powered robotic systems in warehouses, noting the importance of patience during the initial learning phase and the need for robust safety measures.

💡Locus Robotics

Locus Robotics is a company that specializes in autonomous mobile robots for warehouses. Gina Chung, as Vice President of corporate development, explains how their robots are powered by AI, enabling them to navigate and make decisions in constantly changing warehouse environments.

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