Locus Robotics, a leader in autonomous mobile robots (AMR) for fulfilment centres, has partnered with SVT Robotics, a provider of software that orchestrates robots in hubs, to accelerate the integration of Locus’ bots in fulfilment warehouses.
The two firms said that the partnership will enable Locus’ multi-bot AMR fulfilment solution to be fully integrated in a matter of days, rather than months.
SVT and Locus have worked together to develop and launch a pre-built integration connection between SVT’s SOFTBOT Platform and the Locus bots to shorten integration time and complexity. According to SVT, SOFTBOT integrates any enterprise software with automation, robot, IoT, or human productivity tool, for any task, without the need for custom software code.
“Fast and seamless WMS integration is a key element in Locus’s ability to deploy quickly and flexibly in both existing and greenfield warehouses,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “SVT’s expertise in integrating the Locus solution with all WMS platforms will help us deliver even faster ROI for our customers and drive the digital transformation of today’s fulfilment warehouse.”
For SVT, the Locus partnership follows a successful 2021, which saw it raise US$25 million in series A funding led by Tiger Global with participation from Prologis Ventures. According to SVT, the capital will be used to bolster its product R&D and expand its customer outreach efforts.
The Locus bots
Locus Robotics’ multi-bot solution incorporates intelligent autonomous mobile robots that operate collaboratively with human workers to improve piece-handling productivity, with less labour compared to traditional piece handling systems. This solution helps retailers, 3PLs, and specialty warehouses of global customers such as CEVA, DHL, Boots, GEODIS, GXO, Whiplash, Verst Logistics, Radial, and others to efficiently meet and exceed the increasingly complex and demanding fulfilment environments.
Earlier this year, Locus expanded its product line with new warehouse robots Locus Vector and Locus Max, which joined the existing Locus Origin robot. The new autonomous robots form a comprehensive family of AMRs for a broad range of warehouse use cases, according to Locus.
Customer feedback
Kristi Montgomery, Vice President of Innovation, Research & Development at Kenco – a third-party logistics services provider, which has worked with Locus and SVT, said: “Kenco’s collaboration with SVT and Locus Robotics has made deploying autonomous mobile robots seamless, significantly easier, and faster. As we add robotics to additional sites, being able to be up and running in weeks versus months is a critical growth factor to enable delivery of high productivity for all our customers.”
A.K. Schultz, CEO of SVT Robotics, added: “Locus customers can now rapidly integrate and deploy Locus Robotics solutions without lengthy custom code development. The connectivity from the SOFTBOT Platform to LocusBots technology enables warehouses to fully integrate Locus AMRs in just a matter of days to begin optimizing their productivity and efficiency much more quickly.”
