Traditional autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have been constrained by the limited size of their onboard trays, restricting capacity and forcing additional trips to complete daily throughput. These systems also tend to leave robots idle while carts are loaded or unloaded, reducing overall utilization and ROI.

An innovative new approach combines advanced orchestration software with cloud and edge computing to synchronize workflows across induction, picking, and takeoff. At the heart of this is a cart buffering model that achieves the same throughput with 30% fewer robots than traditional AMRs. Instead of sitting idly for long periods, decoupling of robots and carts allows robots to work continuously, reducing dwell time. The detachable rolling carts, designed for high durability and low cost, offer three times the capacity of standard AMRs.

In parallel, optimized pick tours improve labor productivity by pairing associates with multiple robots and dynamically adjusting routes. Wearable technology provides directed instructions, increasing pick density and enabling opportunistic “free picks” along existing paths. Directed workflows extend beyond picking, guiding precise actions at induction and takeoff to eliminate bottlenecks and standardize processes. The same wearables empower operations leaders with real-time visibility as well.

The result is a fulfillment system that maximizes robot utilization, expands throughput capacity, and streamlines workflows from start to finish. By uniting scalable orchestration with affordable hardware, this approach creates measurable gains in productivity, lowers operating costs, and delivers stronger free cash flow for fulfillment operations.