Robots Took Over the Warehouse Floor

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ProMat’s closed, and the message was loud: robots aren’t coming—they’re already running the show.

Forklifts? Outpaced. Warehouse crews? Replaced. Every booth felt like a warning shot to anyone still doing things the old-school way.

Here’s the 3 game-changing robots unveiled. No hype. Just machines built to take over.

Forklifts, Beware. Porter’s Here to Steal Your Job (And Do It Better)

There’s always that one forklift guy who thinks he’s starring in Fast & Furious Warehouse Edition. Ocado just rolled out something at ProMat that might finally bench him.

Meet Porter, Ocado’s new autonomous mobile robot. No nonsense, no coffee breaks, no drama. This thing moves 3,300 pounds like it’s hauling feathers. Basically, the robot equivalent of that guy at the gym who deadlifts a car for fun.

It slides through tight aisles smoother than you avoiding your boss when deadlines hit. No sick days, no “I forgot my badge.” And yeah, if you want to take manual control, it’s got a touchscreen and front camera. Think Tesla Autopilot, but without the part where you end up on YouTube.

Behind the scenes, Ocado’s software runs the show. Directing fleets like a warehouse symphony. No bumper car collisions, no downtime, no chaos. Machine learning even figures out how to stack pallets without breaking stuff. Smarter than your last group chat decisions.

Here’s the real kicker. Porter’s not helping forklift drivers. It’s replacing them. Quietly, efficiently, zero complaints about bad backs.

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Meet Mech: The Dual-Armed Robot Ready to Take Over Truck Unloading

Ever watched a warehouse crew unload a truck and thought, "There has to be a better way"? Well, Dexterity heard you and answered with Mech, their new dual-armed mobile manipulator designed to revolutionize truck unloading.

Mech's Muscle: Each of Mech's arms can lift up to 65 pounds, totaling a combined capacity of 130 pounds. This means it can handle those bulky boxes that usually require two humans, but without the need for coffee breaks or complaints about back pain.​

Reach and Flexibility: Mech can place boxes as high as 8 feet, making it versatile for various stacking and storage needs. Its mobility allows it to navigate tight spaces and adapt to different warehouse layouts, ensuring efficiency in operations.​

Why It Matters: By automating the unloading process, Mech speeds up operations and reduces the risk of injury associated with heavy lifting. This allows human workers to focus on more strategic tasks, improving overall productivity.​

Bottom Line: Mech is set to transform how warehouses handle truck unloading, combining strength, precision, and adaptability. As automation continues to evolve, innovations like Mech are leading the charge toward safer and more efficient workplaces.

Locus Array: The Robot That’s Firing Warehouse Workers One Shelf at a Time

Warehouse jobs used to be simple. You grab a box, you move a box, you clock out. Locus Robotics just made that sound like ancient history.

Say hello to Locus Array, the zero-touch, zero-nonsense robot that’s coming for every shelf-stacker’s job. It’s not just driving around like your regular AMR. Nope. This thing combines a mobile robot with a robotic picking arm, and together they’re like the Batman and Robin of warehouse automation—minus the need for lunch breaks.

Locus Array can grab stuff from shelves up to 10 feet high. Humans need ladders. Locus needs none of that. It picks, moves, and organizes without a single finger lifted by a human. Full-on warehouse wizardry.

The best part? It’s fully autonomous. No one’s babysitting. No one’s fixing mistakes. No one’s whining about overtime. It zips through the warehouse like it owns the place, which, let’s be honest, it basically does now.

The goal here is simple: zero-touch fulfillment. Humans? Optional. Errors? Rare. Speed? Ridiculous.

So if you’re still running a warehouse where people touch things manually, good luck keeping up. Locus Array is already stacking shelves and sipping data while you’re still arguing over shift schedules.

Now, take a breath.

Yeah, robots crushed it at ProMat. Yeah, they’re faster, stronger, tireless.
But hey, they still can’t gossip in the break room or pretend to look busy on Monday morning.

So grab your coffee, survive the week, and remember—your job’s safe... at least until next year’s ProMat.

Cheers, Jacek!