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Organization: Exotec
Country: France
Website: https://www.exotec.com
Year Founded: 2015
Number of Employees: 500+
Innovation Class: Application & Market
Many warehouse operators are struggling with increasing complexity and recent innovations in automation promise to help them adapt and scale their businesses. Exotec SAS has developed the Skypod modular hardware and software for flexible storage and picking.
Lane Automotive provides high-performance automotive parts and accessories. The Watervliet, Mich.-based company carries more than 660 bands, stocks over 100,000 SKUs in its distribution center, and offers more than 2.2 million parts from its catalog serving four primary sales channels.
Lane Automotive needed to exceed fulfillment deadlines to meet carrier pickup times. It also needed to handle a wide range of products and ease worker strain.
“The seasonal nature of our business generally sees its peaks between March and June,” said James MacEachern, chief operating officer of Lane Automotive. “This volume could stress our operational capacity.”
Last year, Exotec deployed Skypod to help Lane Automotive modernize fulfillment operations, building on its experience in the grocery, retail, e-commerce, and third-party logistics (3PL) markets.
“What was unique about this deployment is that Lane carries a lot of SKUs for very specific needs — racing, drag racing, and off-road — but it has small inventories for each,” said Stanislas Normand, managing director of Exotec North America. “That’s where Skypod creates value instead of standard warehouse-fulfillment solutions.”
The automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS) uses robots to move goods between high-density storage racks and ergonomic picking stations.
Skypod has streamlined inventory tracking, reduced the need for Lane Automotive employees to walk five to seven miles per day, and eliminated the need for heavy lifting since products are now picked directly into their shipping cartons. The company said it expects to see at least a sixfold increase in throughput.
Explore the RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024.
RBR50 Robotics Innovation Awards 2024
| Organization | Innovation |
|---|---|
| ABB Robotics | Modular industrial robot arms offer flexibility |
| Advanced Construction Robotics | IronBOT makes rebar installation faster, safer |
| Agility Robotics | Digit humanoid gets feet wet with logistics work |
| Amazon Robotics | Amazon strengthens portfolio with heavy-duty AGV |
| Ambi Robotics | AmbiSort uses real-world data to improve picking |
| Apptronik | Apollo humanoid features bespoke linear actuators |
| Boston Dynamics | Atlas shows off unique skills for humanoid |
| Brightpick | Autopicker applies mobile manipulation, AI to warehouses |
| Capra Robotics | Hircus AMR bridges gap between indoor, outdoor logistics |
| Dexterity | Dexterity stacks robotics and AI for truck loading |
| Disney | Disney brings beloved characters to life through robotics |
| Doosan | App-like Dart-Suite eases cobot programming |
| Electric Sheep | Vertical integration positions landscaping startup for success |
| Exotec | Skypod ASRS scales to serve automotive supplier |
| FANUC | FANUC ships one-millionth industrial robot |
| Figure | Startup builds working humanoid within one year |
| Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics | evoBot features unique mobile manipulator design |
| Gardarika Tres | Develops de-mining robot for Ukraine |
| Geek+ | Upgrades PopPick goods-to-person system |
| Glidance | Provides independence to visually impaired individuals |
| Harvard University | Exoskeleton improves walking for people with Parkinson’s disease |
| ifm efector | Obstacle Detection System simplifies mobile robot development |
| igus | ReBeL cobot gets low-cost, human-like hand |
| Instock | Instock turns fulfillment processes upside down with ASRS |
| Kodama Systems | Startup uses robotics to prevent wildfires |
| Kodiak Robotics | Autonomous pickup truck to enhance U.S. military operations |
| KUKA | Robotic arm leader doubles down on mobile robots for logistics |
| Locus Robotics | Mobile robot leader surpasses 2 billion picks |
| MassRobotics Accelerator | Equity-free accelerator positions startups for success |
| Mecademic | MCS500 SCARA robot accelerates micro-automation |
| MIT | Robotic ventricle advances understanding of heart disease |
| Mujin | TruckBot accelerates automated truck unloading |
| Mushiny | Intelligent 3D sorter ramps up throughput, flexibility |
| NASA | MOXIE completes historic oxygen-making mission on Mars |
| Neya Systems | Development of cybersecurity standards harden AGVs |
| NVIDIA | Nova Carter gives mobile robots all-around sight |
| Olive Robotics | EdgeROS eases robotics development process |
| OpenAI | LLMs enable embedded AI to flourish |
| Opteran | Applies insect intelligence to mobile robot navigation |
| Renovate Robotics | Rufus robot automates installation of roof shingles |
| Robel | Automates railway repairs to overcome labor shortage |
| Robust AI | Carter AMR joins DHL’s impressive robotics portfolio |
| Rockwell Automation | Adds OTTO Motors mobile robots to manufacturing lineup |
| Sereact | PickGPT harnesses power of generative AI for robotics |
| Simbe Robotics | Scales inventory robotics deal with BJ’s Wholesale Club |
| Slip Robotics | Simplifies trailer loading/unloading with heavy-duty AMR |
| Symbotic | Walmart-backed company rides wave of logistics automation demand |
| Toyota Research Institute | Builds large behavior models for fast robot teaching |
| ULC Technologies | Cable Splicing Machine improve safety, power grid reliability |
| Universal Robots | Cobot leader strengthens lineup with UR30 |