AutoStore, the Norwegian robotics technology company, today announced the release of Router, a newly developed software suite for its cube based order fulfillment system that increases robot productivity and efficiency by up to 40%.
“The launch of Router could not have come at a more crucial time in our industry. This revolutionary software, available to all AutoStore users, will change the order-fulfillment landscape at a time when the ability to adapt quickly means everything,” said Karl Johan Lier, CEO of AutoStore. “We recognize the importance of anticipating future challenges. This pandemic has demonstrated to us that the retail and e-commerce market will never be the same as it was. With Black Friday and the holiday season approaching, warehouses and micro-fulfillment centers will need the flexibility and high-speed efficiency that Router can deliver. We’re excited to unveil the biggest development in AutoStore history in years.”
Based on over 20 years of research and development, Router is a disruptive technology that can be implemented in any AutoStore system, whether a large-scale distribution center or a back-of-store micro-fulfillment center. This underscores the flexibility that has been a hallmark of AutoStore technology, and by purchasing this new software, users can potentially improve total system throughput by up to 4x.
Router utilizes sophisticated computer algorithms to continuously calculate and recalculate in real time the most efficient path for AutoStore robots to move and deliver orders inside the company’s high-density grid system. Every second, the advanced software analyzes and dynamically adapts to operational changes, accelerating the fulfillment process and maintaining a continuously optimized flow of order movement. In this way the system is able to process and adapt to continuously changing events happening outside the grid, such as new orders coming in, order cancellations, and movement of fulfillment personnel.
“This year has taught us all at AutoStore to adapt to new situations quickly and with an eye to innovation,” said Carlos Fernandez, Chief Product Officer at AutoStore. “This has been years in the making but the new software has never been more necessary than right now. Highly efficient with increased flexibility, Router is designed to meet the changing needs of our customers – no matter what the future may bring.”