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Japan-based AMR (autonomous mobile robot) manufacturer LexxPluss announced this month that it had secured ¥1.45 billion (about $11 million U.S.) in a Series A funding round, following on from a pre-Series A round of funding in November of 2021. The now two-year-old, Japan-based startup LexxPluss was founded in 2020 by Masaya Aso, a former Bosch employee. When not developing LexxPluss, Aso is also the president of Deep4Drive, an open mobility development community focused on automated driving and reinforcement learning.  LexxPluss’ primary customers are in the Japanese logistics and automotive sectors, some of which have operations in the U.S. Aso has said that it wants to use its existing clients' relationships to enter the U.S. market, the largest autonomous mobile robots market, which was already sized at $762 million in 2021 and is expected to grow to $3.2 billion by 2028, accounting for about 40% of the global market share. To remove the obstacles introducing robots into the Japanese logistics industry, Aso differentiates his company by developing robots that can cooperate with humans in hardware and software with a hybrid of an AGV (autonomous guided vehicle) and AMR. LexxPluss is particularly interesting because its focus is on an Open Source approach, unlike its Japan-based AMR rival Toyota, who launched its first SLAM-based AMR to the global market last year, the catchy named “Automated horizontal carrier CDI120”. “At LexxPluss, we have made our Robotics Automation Technology open source, under the banner "Open Source Industrial Robotics". We are happy to publically share our technology for free, in hopes of building better products for everyone.” LexxPluss appears to mean real Open Source, not just part of their ecosystem. Now available in English, their website covers all aspects of the AMR design, circuit boards and software being open source for dedicated members of its Open Source Industrial Robotics program — a far cry from most AMR manufacturers currently operating and selling within the U.S. and Europe. Time will tell where LexxPluss will ultimately secure market share. Still, if the specification of its first AMR and the Open Source approach are anything to go by, it will undoubtedly be interesting watching this newcomer to the AMR market “gold rush”.

An interview and round of questions with other panellists. This episode, hosted by Alastair Charatan from Business Desk, focuses on The Business Case for Warehouse Automation. The feature topic was the discussion around the recent CBI Conference, where James Wroath, CEO of Wincanton, posed the question to Rishi Sunak PM “Prime Minister, how can we better partner with government to develop robotics and automation skills and solutions in the UK?” Watch the full webinar on the SupplyChainTalk YouTube channel

A recent study carried out by trade show organisers Nineteen Group for its forthcoming Manufacturing & Engineering Week event showed that 78% of UK industrial companies find finding the employees they need more challenging or complex than usual. The most difficult roles to fill are engineering (57%), manufacturing (42%), and technical (42%). The leading causes of the skills shortage include insufficient manufacturing involvement in technical education and a lack of interest in manufacturing and engineering. The survey also indicated the impact of COVID-19 on UK manufacturing and engineering businesses, with 67% saying their business had been affected by the pandemic. Only 35% had considered using automated technologies such as robots to fill vacant roles or assist existing workers. “Joe Daft, Head of Robotics at Wise Robotics said: “Although robotic automation has been proven to be beneficial for handling a wide range of applications across multiple industries, research has shown that many companies, especially in the UK, face challenges when it comes to adoption of automation. In many cases, this is due to those companies lacking the skills or experience needed to operate robots and other types of automated equipment. “However, with many automation equipment manufacturers offering training and support for new users, there is a great opportunity for companies to switch to automated equipment to address the issues caused by a shortage of skilled or available labour.”” Survey shows that UK manufacturing needs to work harder to attract talent (themanufacturer.com)

A minor personal feature in an article by the Financial Times as part of a broader special report on the future of logistics. The news article entitled "Robotics supply helping hand to speedy order fulfilment" covers the technology that is providing routes to saving sales and revenues In the article, Harry discusses how Amazon warehouse workers may soon have new robotic recruits among their ranks and how they have taken the lead in warehouse automation. Analysts say chronic labour shortages and the complexity of e-commerce have accelerated the uptake of automation since the onset of the pandemic, leading to supply chain managers now having their eyes on maturing technologies to take the pressure off their workforce. A vital part of any technology onboarding is its integration, and logistics leaders are turning their attention to integrating all the different robotics and automation technologies with data to better predict demand and optimise the use of robots and humans on the most urgent tasks. Robotics supply helping hand to speedy order fulfilment | Financial Times (ft.com)

I was invited along to a podcast with Richard Hill from eCom@One exploring how the future of warehouse automation for SMEs is already here. In this podcast, we talk about the different robotics solutions available to eCommerce stores and precisely how automating your operations can save you space, time and money in the long term. I also cover a section on how robotics is no longer just used by eCommerce giants like Amazon since the COVID-19 pandemic has forced thousands of businesses to consider the implementation of robotics solutions to keep up with massive increases in demand. Alongside Greg Downey, I also give some great advice on how you can get started with robotics as an e-commerce business, as well as insights into when you’ll begin to see a return on your investment, how it all works and what the future of robotics could look like in the next five years. “I would say it'll be customer experience. So it's making sure that everyone within the business understands the customer experience. Doesn't matter whether they're in purchasing, accounts, the warehouse, cleaners, it doesn't matter, at some point they have an impact on the end customer experience. And if everyone understands that, then you can ensure that you have the best possible experience for your customers.” Listen to the full episode on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

As Head of Robotics, I was asked to participate in the IntraLogisteX Connected webinar series, with this episode focussing on UK Warehouses and the "Robot Revolution" that the sector is currently going through. “Automation is not only about fending off challenges but staying relevant and thriving in a world increasingly dominated by e-commerce. Processing goods at the volume, speed and accuracy retailers and consumers expect would be impossible without some level of automation – but as with any technology, there will always be innovators, early adopters and those who lag behind” Watch the full episode on the LogisticsManager YouTube channel

As Head of Robotics for Wise Robotics (previously OWR OrderWise Warehouse Robotics), I was instrumental in setting up the first AMR-based demonstration centre in Europe. Here is an article featured by the AMHSA where I gave an interview about this centre opening. “Gone are the days of the word ‘robotics’ meaning an investment of tens of millions of pounds in order to get a solution that is right for them. That said, it’s still a significant investment and for most business leaders, although exciting and game changing, it’s unfamiliar. That’s why this demonstration centre is so important. There are lots of different solutions out there in the market that can achieve a wide range of aspects for logistical operations. This can often leave businesses unclear on what is the best option for them.” Read the full article on the AMHSA here