Warehouses are often associated with hard physical work and give workplace for many. They offer an easy salary for many people in need but that might change. Norwegian contract company AutoStore builds autonomous warehouses which replace humans with self-driving robots which can detect the location of the products, pick them up and then drop them off at the requested place. This innovative solution not only eliminates the need for hiring workers but also saves a great deal of space as it allows the warehouse structure to be taller instead of wider. The machines collect their packages from stacked shelves using an elevator mechanic which consequences in a cramped hall not wasting any area. This technique causes a double or even quadruple increase in the inventory capacity compared to a standard warehouse without wasting considerably as much space. AI programmed robots simply move around the storage on special tracks and are built to maneuver around each other in a coordinated order. With demand for these revolutionary systems constantly accelerating, revenue for AutoStore doubled and reached $85m only in the third quarter of 2021 despite the costs of production increasing and its biggest component aluminum, rising to a record high price prompting a slight margin fall. AutoStore battled their rival company-Ocado, in a legal dispute about patent infringement of their robotic systems resulting in a major win for the Norwegian giants, boosting their revenue. Now the warehouse manufacturer has a clear path to further revolutionize the robotic industry and expand their horizon. This might come at the cost of thousands losing their jobs, leaving them unemployed. Consequences might be huge if new work opportunities don’t come available for those left stranded by robots.
Sources:
https://www.ft.com/content/7a800a3c-c940-4a4b-94e7-f4d8e95624a8
