It was quite difficult to choose this year as the offering is expanding. Below are our top picks, but you can also have a look of our 2016 guide for more cool ideas.

1. Bee-Bot

Age: 2+

Price: ~$90

Description: this cute little robot introduces young children to coding and sequencing in a colorful manner. Directional keys are used to enter commands that will then be followed the robot.

Purchase

2. Ozobot 2.0

Age: 6 to 10

Price: ~$60

Description:  this kit mixes coding and creativity for almost limitless experiences. An optical sensor reads color code sequences drawn on paper to perform its tasks.

Purchase

3. Geckobot

Age: 8+

Price: ~$65

Description:  another “do-it-yourself” robot kit, this time using suction to have the Geckobot climbing windows. This kit enables the child to construct six other models to experiment the possibilities of pneumatics.

Purchase

4. RoKit Smart

Age: 8+

Price: ~$120

Description: with this kit, you can build 11 different robots (Sumo, Crab, Gorilla, etc.) and program them. But the kit also contains enough components to enable the child to create its own design.

Purchase

5. Lego Boost

Age: 7 to 12

Price: ~$160

Description:  It is a less expensive option to the well-known Lego Mindstorms, enabling children to use a simple graphical interface (drag-and-drop) to program their robots.

Purchase

6. Littlebits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit

Age: 8-12

Price: ~$100

Description:  We cannot talk about robot toys without thinking of Star Wars! Create your own Droid and experiment more than 16 different missions using a free app for step by step instructions.

Purchase

7. Kamigami

Age: 10+

Price: ~$45

Description:  Another robot to assemble, this time from flat sheets and no tools are necessary. Once this is done, you can program and control it from your phone. Great quality/price ratio.

Purchase

8. Sphero Mini

Age: 10+

Price: ~$50

Description:  Much more affordable than its big brother, the Sphero, you can still do many cool stuffs with it. Of course, it is smaller and less durable as you pay less, but it’s a great way to start in the Sphero universe.

Purchase

9. Meccano M.A.X.

Age: 10+

Price: ~$150

Description:  like all Meccano toys, you can (almost) construct anything. This interactive kit uses artificial intelligence and programming to offer a world of possibilities.

Purchase

10. Parrot Swing Minidrone

Age: 12+

Price: ~$140

Description: it is difficult to create such a list without at least one drone. This one is a hybrid between a quadcopter and a plane. It comes with autopilot capacity and takes-off and lands vertically. Some programming is also possible.

Purchase

11. RBX1

Age: 15+

Price: ~$830

Description:  this is a 3D printed robot arm with 7 stepper motors. You can not only have the fun to build the robot, but also program it to achieve various tasks.

Purchase

12. Jibo

Age: 5 to 99

Price: ~$900

Description:  after waiting for some years, this social robot is finally available. You can use it to get messages, order food online, take pictures, learn about the weather conditions, do videoconferencing and even listen to jokes.

Purchase

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The increase use of autonomous robots is one of the answers of the above-mentioned challenges. According to a recent report published by Deloitte, “Autonomous robots are expected to see strong growth over the next five years.” We can easily list many advantages of using those technologies in distribution centers:

• Productivity
• Order Quality
• Consistency
• Unlimited and flexible runtime

The first autonomous robots were quite expensive, but this is changing due to various technological improvements and increased economies of scale in production. In fact, still according to Deloitte’s report, “… the question is no longer whether autonomous robots will find a way into the supply chain, but where and how soon.”

All this is great, but what kind of autonomous robots do we see in distribution centers? If we look at what is commercially available today, we could list three categories:

1. Storage and retrieval
2. Goods-to-person
3. Picking assistance

Storage and retrieval

Storage and retrieval autonomous robots perform basically the same tasks as traditional mini-loads using cranes. They pick products to store on shelves and pick products for shipping preparation. The main advantage of using autonomous robots is the flexibility they provide compared to previously used technologies (AS/RS cranes). The latest autonomous robots can basically go everywhere in the storage structure by changing aisles and levels. It is therefore possible to get the best throughput with this approach as robots are deployed where needed. Also, because of the various levels of the storage structure, less footprint is required when hundreds of thousands of products must be stored. Therefore, it is the best option for larger size distribution centers. The only major drawback when compared to cranes is the dimension and weight limitations that can be handled by those autonomous robots.

This highly automated approach is the most productive one, but can require significant infrastructure, which makes it most valuable for larger distribution centers.

One good example of this type of technology is from Symbotic. Each autonomous robot can access any case in the storage at a speed up to 25 mph. Cases, cartons, trays, with or without shrink wrapping, can be handled.

Goods-to-person

The best-known solution in this category is the Kiva system, now Amazon Robotics. Other solution providers are Swisslog, Grenzebach and GreyOrange.

Picking assistance

What’s next?

Major distribution centers are competing to completely automate the entire picking process. Most solutions still heavily rely on a person to take the product from the totes or the shelves as well as package the orders. Many organizations, like Amazon and DHL, organize picking challenges to advance the development of the vision-guided robotic solutions while others invest to develop their own technologies. As a result, we expect the picking process to be entirely automated within the next few years.

Deloitte: Using autonomous robots to drive supply chain innovation, 2017, https://www2.deloitte.com/content/dam/Deloitte/us/Documents/manufacturing/us-manufacturing-autonomous-robots-supply-chain-innovation.pdf

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Boston, MA – Leaders of the Massachusetts innovation community gathered last night at Boston’s Federal Reserve Building for a reception where the state’s leading technology trade association announced finalists for the 2017 MassTLC Technology Leadership Awards. At this reception, Symbotic’s Rob Sullivan was honored as a finalist for the CTO of the Year category.

As Chief Development Officer and Co-Founder of Symbotic, Rob leads the company towards continuous improvements in warehouse innovation. His in-depth knowledge of robotics, automation and operations has driven him to become an accomplished co-inventor for 33 granted patents, spanning the disciplines of mechanical, structural, controls and manufacturing engineering. This nomination is a testament to his vision, ingenuity, and drive for excellence.

“Massachusetts is among the world’s top regions engaged in creating whole new industries and markets while redefining existing ones,” said MassTLC President Tom Hopcroft. “We produce visionary leaders and exciting, high-growth companies and startups that propel the state’s economy. Ranging from robotics and the internet of things to products for financial or security operations, our 20^th annual Technology Leadership Awards draws attention to the deep pool of talent, innovative spirit and determination that thrives in the Bay State.”

Finalists were selected from hundreds of nominations, as judged by panels of industry leaders in each of the 14 categories. The pool of finalists will be further narrowed during the coming weeks. Winners will be announced at the MassTLC Leadership Awards Gala on September 14 at Boston’s Seaport World Trade Center. More details, advance registration and sponsorship information are available at http://masstlcawards.org/.

Finalists in the CTO of the Year category include:

• Wayne Whitcomb, Salesforce
• Kevin Riley, Sonus Networks
• Rob Sullivan, Symbotic
• Daniel Thoebald, Vecna
• Bobby Littrell, Vesper

About Symbotic

Symbotic is a leading provider of proprietary, autonomous robotics and innovative software based solutions that reinvent distribution centers. The Symbotic System uses a flexible and modular framework, autonomous robots and an integrated software system to reduce costs, simplify operations, and increase storage density within existing infrastructures. The result is an automated material handling and storage solution that is fast and affordable to setup, inexpensive to operate and flexible to change. The Symbotic System can be installed with minimal disruption to the conventional operating warehouse and is built to reimagine future growth.

Symbotic^® – Reinvent the warehouse | Reimagine the supply chain^TM

For more information about Symbotic, please visit symbotic.com.

About The Mass Technology Leadership Council, Inc.
With 500+ member companies, the Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) is the region’s leading technology association and the premier network for tech executives, entrepreneurs, investors and policy leaders. MassTLC’s purpose is to accelerate innovation by connecting people from across the technology landscape, providing access to industry-leading content and ideas and offering a platform for visibility for member companies and their interests. More at www.masstlc.org

###

Symbotic LLC

200 Research Drive

Wilmington, MA 01887

P: (978) 284 – 2800

E: info (at) symbotic (dot) com

Symbotic.com

Symbotic^®, Reinvent the warehouse | Reimagine the supply chain and the Symbotic logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Symbotic LLC. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

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Consumer preferences are pushing for new offerings in last mile delivery. According to a survey conducted by McKinsey&Company, almost 25% of respondents are ready to pay premiums for same-day of even shorter delivery. The remaining respondents prefer the cheapest option.

With this in mind, below is a non-exhaustive timeline of various last-mile delivery initiatives that show the impact of drones with last mile delivery.

And now, what can we expect within the next 10 years? According to the McKinsey&Company study, autonomous vehicles will deliver 80% of parcels by 2025. Depending of the inhabitants’ density, aerial drones, wheeled drones, or autonomous vehicles with lockers will establish themselves as the dominant delivery modes. These will replace or improve current last mile delivery methods such as lockers, bike couriers and human driving delivery trucks.

The post Why Last Mile Delivery Needs Drones? appeared first on Symbotic.

The warehouse of the future

Symbotic’s solution reinvents warehouses. Changes in consumer behavior and demands have forced distribution centers to both adapt and grow their operations. The Symbotic System allows distribution centers to answer this demand. With proprietary innovative software and autonomous robots, Symbotic will fully automate your warehouse and manage an unlimited number of sku’s, while decreasing the footprint and labor requirements.

Learn more about Symbotic

In 2015, Symbotic was named Top 10 Warehouse Management Solution Provider.
In 2016, Symbotic won Innovative Technology of the Year Award for Robotics.
Read this article published in 2016 by the Wall Street Journal about Symbotic’s solution: Fully Autonomous Robots: The Warehouse Workers of the Near Future.

Symbotic^® – Reinvent the warehouse | Reimagine the supply chain^TM

Promat 2017
McCormick Place, Chicago
April 3-6

Symbotic
Booth #S4132
Contact: promat2017@symbotic.com

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Robot Orders

The number of robots ordered reached 34,606 in 2016, which is an increase of 10% from 2015. The CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) since the 2009 recession is 20%, as seen in the chart above. The value of those orders was around $ 1.9 billion.

Even if 2016 was a new record year, the year-to-year growth rate is slowing down. After a slight drop of 5% in 2013, the robot orders jumped by 28% in 2014, 14% in 2015 and 10% in 2016. The CAGR for those last three years is at 17%. We do not believe that this indicates that robot orders are approaching a plateau, as there are many industries like distribution and logistics still in their upswing curve in industrial robot adoption.

Robot Shipments

Robot shipments to North American companies have steadily increased every year since 2011. The year-to-year increase is quite stable and regular, with a CAGR of 12%. It is interesting to note that, in 2016, the number of robots shipped is 73% higher than in 2011.

US Unemployment Rate

It is quite fascinating to see that the increase of robot orders and shipments happens as the unemployment rate in the United States decreases. After reaching a high in 2009 at 9.9%, it steadily decreases to reach 4.7% at the end of 2016. This represents a CAGR decrease of 10% for that time. Of course, the unemployment rate covers all the industries, not only manufacturing, but it is still nice to see that increases in robot shipments does not impact negatively the unemployment rate.

The Future

And what about the future? Various market studies state that the growth will continue at a pace of about 12% per year until 2019. Read more from the RIA official press release.

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Changes in consumer behavior and demands have forced distribution centers to both reinvent and dramatically grow their operations. This often includes drawing a new product flow map, a new type of building and a new kind of automation for the retail sector.

This impressive growth has affected retailers in both the quantity and size of the distribution centers that turn e-commerce orders into product deliveries. Theses distribution centers, also known as operation fulfillment centers, are now emerging in locations that have low real estate costs, offer tax incentives to locate there, have an available workforce for seasonal surges and offer multiple ways of transporting goods from their locations.

Further constraints on retailers includes being closer to the consumers. In the US, this means areas close to major urban areas, such as New York City, New Jersey and Oakland, CA, Midwestern hubs that are unencumbered by traffic-congested highways, such as Omaha, NB and Kansas City, MO, and traditional port cities such as Houston, TX, Norfolk, VA, and Savannah, GA.

The distribution centers being built to meet demand are usually large-scale, multi-level operations that take up an enormous amount of land. For example, The eBay Enterprise Richwood Fulfillment Center in Kentucky is almost 1.2 million sq. ft.*

Additionally, consumers expect next-day delivery, distribution operations look at how they can get the product to customer homes as quickly as possible. As a result, many businesses now supplement their large centers with smaller warehouses or brick-and-mortar stores for the “last mile” of delivery.

Another trend with consumer expectations is with product differentiators. Consumers expect to have multiple options for each product, which requires that distribution centers have all versions in stock. Distribution centers are now becoming multi-story facilities to meet consumer expectations, SKU proliferation and rising real-estate costs.

E-commerce and the hubs that service them are growing, and robotics are at the heart of that growth. Fulfilling numerous orders of different products through a storage maze within the distribution centers requires robotics and using the latest in automation. There are many ways that robotics have aided to these companies’ huge transformations into e-commerce providers. For many providers these have included the use of warehouse management systems (WMS), robotic layer depalletizing, shuttle systems for product storage, and robotic mixed load palletizing. However, Symbotic offers an ultra-dense solution that allows customers to utilize at least 40% more storage within their existing warehouses. This solution allows distribution centers to be in high density last-mile delivery areas to meet consumer expectations. Visit the Symbotic site to learn more about the Symbotic solution benefits.

*Source: logisticsmgmt.com

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1. Average size and number of employees: the first decrease after years of growth

One main finding is the decrease of the average size of warehouses and distribution centers (DC) after three years of steady increase. This change was relatively small (- 5.6% compared to 2015) and the average size in 2016 is still higher than the levels measured from 2012 to 2014.

This correlates with another result from this year’s survey: the reduction of the average number of employees after also three consecutive years of growth. We can see this as an indication of a recent trend about having smaller distribution center close to customers to provide same day delivery. Those DCs must be closer to the urban areas to meet the fast delivery promises. The land price is much higher and operators will therefore favor smaller buildings to keep the costs down. Also, with the rise of transportation costs (tolls, fuel, etc.), logistics companies are looking for avenues to reduce their expenses. Smaller buildings closer to cities are one pertinent approach.

2. Number of SKUs: no clear trend

Looking at the average number of SKUs per warehouse and distribution center since 2012, it is difficult to identify from the survey results a specific trend. We all know that, overall, the number of SKUs should increase for various reasons (e-commerce, mass customization, variety packs, etc.). Similarly, as big players are acquiring smaller competitors, the number of SKUs tends to grow accordingly, even if there might be synergy effects. But, if we look at the survey results from the last 5 years, this trend is not clear. We see that the average number of SKUs reported for the last two years is higher than what was measured in the previous three years, but it is difficult to see a clear movement. We will probably have to wait for the 2017 survey results to draw any serious conclusions.

3. Servicing e-commerce: a significant reduction

Another surprising result is the percentage of DCs servicing e-commerce, which decreased by 12.5% from the 2015 results, after years of progress. This contradicts consistent news about the massive efforts made by numerous organizations to be present in the virtual market place. We see two possible reasons for this reduction. The first is about the logistics of return handling that represents a huge effort for distribution center to manage, including the shipping and mailing costs linked with those returns. A second possibility is a change in the customer behavior, looking for a personal or human touch, talking to an “expert”, to help in choosing the right item. Even Amazon is now opening brick and mortar stores.

4. Technologies and capital expenditures: contradictory results

The survey asked respondents about the type of technology used in their facilities. Again, there are surprising results in 2016. While the number of operations using goods-to-person technologies doubled from 5% in 2015 to 10% in 2016, automated picking technologies continued to decrease for a third consecutive year, going from 11% in 2013 to only 3% in 2016. One possible explanation could be about the technological complexity of those solutions. If the systems are becoming too big and complicated, the productivity might go down because of system availability and downtime. Also, the maintenance cost might increase because of the need of specialized staff. The secret is to find the proper balance between automated, semi-automated and manual operations to keep the risk “under control”. A warehouse could decide to use automation for some SKUs while having semi-automated or manual operation for difficult SKUs (also known as the “uglies”).

The number of DCs using AS/RS is relatively stable since 2013, around 9%. With the various AS/RS technologies available today (unit load, mini load, shuttle systems), our main question is why there is only one tenth of warehouses adopting those technologies?

Let’s conclude with a look about the capital expenditure. If we consider the last five years, we see a clear trend towards an increase in the average capital expenditure, showing that more investments are made by the industry to expand and improve DC operations. The situation is slightly different with the median capital expenditure with a decrease of almost 9% compared to the 2015 level. The 2016 median capital expenditure is even lower that the level reported in 2014. This might show that larger operations are investing more, looking to improve efficiency, which impacts the average, while smaller warehouses are investing less, resulting in the median capital expenditure reduction.

As we can see, smaller distribution centers might be a new paradigm to reduce transportation costs and enable same day delivery. But we know that the number of SKUs is significantly higher today that what it was a few years ago. This is where the storage density gets quite important. Symbotic, with its proprietary technology, offers a valuable solution for this challenge. If you are seeking a new solution to your warehouse, then reach out to us at info@symbotic.com.

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Here are 12 great robot holiday gifts:

1. Code-A-Pillar

For kids between 3 and 5, our first recommendation is a new product from Fisher-Price, the Code-A-Pillar. This cute caterpillar features 9 segments that can be easily connected in various arrangements. The segments arrangement determines the sequence of the movements so preschoolers can “program” the toy how to move: forward, left, right, wiggle, dance or wait before moving again. By having fun, young kids learn the very basics of programming.

Price: about $60 

2. Code & Go Robot Mouse

For kids of 5 and above, The Code & Go Robot Mouse enables them to build a maze and use coding cards to create a step-by-step path for the mouse, named Colby, to go through the maze and find the cheese. Colorful buttons on the mouse allows the child to instruct Colby about the sequence to follow to go throughout the maze.

Price: about $60

3. COJI

For slightly older kids, 6 and more, they can play with COJI, a robot that is programmed with a free application using Emojis. They therefore have a very fun time while program it. COJI also has sensors so it interacts with the child. The full color screen can display graphics.

Price: about $60

4. Evo

There are a lot of great ideas for children of 8 or more. We limited this buying guide to four of them. The first one is Evo, a little line-following robot that teaches the basics of programming. Il follows a black line drawn on paper or on a tablet screen while performing various actions as it crosses a colored dot. Those actions can make it change color, change direction, change speed, etc.

Price: about $100

5. Cozmo

The second one it Cozmo,is a robot with a personality based on artificial intelligence algorithms. Cozmo will express emotions as it responds to the actions of the child. Its personality evolves as you interact with it. Cozmo requires a free application and the processing power of a phone or a tablet to access all its robotic functions.

Price: about $180

6. Bristlebots

Our third suggestion in this age category is the Bristlebots, a small robot that are fun and easy to build. Unlike the previous suggestions, no programming is required here. The fun part about Bristlebots is that they are highly customizable, children can build a robot, take it apart, build another robot, etc. The battery-operated motor enables them to move on a flat surface like a little mechanical bug.

Price: about $40 for a 4 pack

7. SPRK+

For children of 8 years or more, the SPRK+ is another app-controlled robot with a highly visual block-based interface that brings a lot of fun while learning the basics of programming. You can program a painting, navigate in a maze, mimic the solar system, swim across the water, the possibilities are almost limitless. To program the SPRK+, you use an application to drag and drop actions, controls, operators and more to instruct the little robot ball what to do.

Price: about $100

8. OWI-535 Robotic Arm

For early teenagers (13 and more), the OWI-535 Robotic Arm will introduce them to the world of industrial robotics. Once being assembled, which is part of the fun, this 5 degree-of-freedom robot arm can lift objects weighing up to one-fifth of a pound to perform some pick and place tasks.

Price: about $60

9. Parrot Airborn Cargo Mars Drone

Any buying guide cannot be complete without a drone! There are now dozens of models available, with various prices. One interesting and affordable choice is the Parrot Airborne Cargo Mars, a robust impact-resistant minidrone that can be easily customized.

Price: about $100

10. Alpha 1S Humanoid Robot

For much older kids and hobbyists (including basically all Symbotic employees), the Alpha 1S Humanoid Robot represents a unique offering. This app controlled robot is made with high-precision servo joints and uses an editing software for 3D visual motions. Therefore, it can be programmed without using a PC software, the app is sufficient. It can walk, dance, and much more.

Price: about $660

11. Vacuum Robots

To complete this list, some practical ideas for the tech-oriented parents. Vacuum robots have been available for many years now. According to iRobot CEO, 20 percent of all the vacuums in the world are now robots. iRobot is a pioneer in this field, as well as Neato Robotics. Many traditional vacuum manufacturers are now also proposing vacuum robots: Dyson, Bissel, Hoover, Miele, Samsung. More recently, Chinese Xiaomi, the 4^th smartphone manufacturer, is also stepping in this market. Prices go from a few hundred to a thousand dollars. The main differences between entry level models and higher end ones are suction power and navigation capabilities. Those vacuum robots cannot yet fully replace traditional vacuums, but it is still convenient to have one removing most of the dust in the bedroom or in the kitchen while watching a football game!

12. Robotic Lawnmowers

Real robot geeks with a good budget can also consider robotic lawnmowers. Their price is in the $1,000 to $5,500 range. Of course, robustness, autonomy, and navigation capabilities make a difference in the price of those units. They are still quite expensive, but imagine yourself next summer laying down with a beer or a drink while your robot takes care of the lawn!

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The top three challenges in the supply chain industry for 2015 were (see also figure 1):

• Customer demand for lower delivery cost
• Customer demand for faster response time
• Rising customer service expectations

While appeasing consumer demands are listed again as top challenges for 2016, a new one emerged. According to 58% of respondents, the most important challenge facing 2016 is hiring and retaining a skilled workforce. As the material handling industry expects to create 1.4 million jobs by 2018 it makes sense that the workforce is the biggest challenge.

Similarly, there was an increase of respondents that reported customer demand for lower delivery cost and faster response times was an important and growing challenge compared to last year.

The industry recognizes that more technologies are being implemented in the supply chain. Although their benefits are well documented, respondents still face barriers to justify the required investments. On average, 20% more responders mention the on-going top three barriers to adoption (see figure 2).

It was expected that the initial investment cost would be a critical hurdle with adoption. Nevertheless, according to the report, more companies are acknowledging that, as the cost of new technologies decreases, a faster ROI is now possible. An example is the plunging cost of industrial robots, down by 27% from 2005 to 2014 (see BCG’s blog post).

Like the previous year, eight enabling technologies were investigated. The top four that were identified as sources of disruption or competitive advantage are:

• Robotics and automation
• Inventory and network optimization
• Sensors and automatic identification
• Predictive analytics

While the top four technologies are identical from 2014 to 2015, the competitive advantage has shifted from Inventory and Network Optimization to implementing Robotics and Automation. It seems those last two have a bigger and more rapid impact ont the supply chain than originally expected. This probably explains why respondents choosing Robotics and Automation for disruption or competitive advantage jumped from 39% in 2014 to 51% in 2015 (see figure 3).

Some technologies experienced a steady increase from last year results, such as cloud computing and wearables, while others took a step back, like driverless vehicles and 3D printing. We were surprised to learn that those two technologies (driverless vehicles and 3D printing) adoption rate decreased by respectively 25% and 18% from 2014 to 2015 (see figure 4).While the report does not offer any explanation for this change we believe it might be because those technologies are not yet mature enough for larger scale adoption.

As seen on the final graph, the better-known technologies have a high rate of adoption from respondents (35% or more) while emerging technologies are much less popular (25% or less). It is expected that the later category will have overall a compound annual growth rate for the next five years twice as high as the mature technologies.

In conclusion, it appears that the supply chain industry will continue to use more technologies in the coming years in order to meet the market demand. However, the remaining challenge is finding the proper talent to operate those technologies.

If you find this industry as fascinating as we do and want to work with disruptive technology, then visit our careers page to find the right opportunity to you.

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