Warehouse robotics: three innovative use cases

Warehouse robotics now encompasses a wide range of proven automated systems that handle storage, picking, packing, and transport of goods. Modern warehouse robots include automated guided vehicles (AGVs/AMRs), goods-to-person ASRS, robotic arms, and collaborative robots ('cobots').

Today’s solutions deliver tangible benefits – slashing labor costs, boosting throughput, improving accuracy, and syncing inventory in real time. Rather than outdated pilots or speculative designs, today’s focus is on systems in commercial use: fleets of mobile bots in distribution centers, robotic picking stations in e-commerce warehouses, and cobots working side-by-side with humans. (For example, Amazon now runs over 750,000 robots that sort, lift, and carry inventory

What is warehouse robotics?

Warehouse robotics refers to using machines (robots) to automate material handling tasks. These include:

• Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs/AGVs): Mobile carriers or tuggers that move inventory or carts. Examples: Amazon’s Kiva/Sequoia robots that lift shelves to packersexotec.com, or 6 River/Fetch AMRs that deliver tote carts to humans.
• Automated storage & retrieval (ASRS): Rack-based systems where robots (shuttles or cranes) store and retrieve goods. These include cube-based systems (AutoStore/Exotec Skypod) and high-bay cranes.
• Robotic picking stations: Robotic arms with suction or grippers that pick individual items (“each picks”) or cases. New systems (e.g., RightHand Robotics, Swisslog CarryPick) combine AI vision and smart grippers to automate item picking.
• Collaborative robots (Cobots): Robots designed to work safely alongside people, e.g., robot arms at packing stations or AMRs that escort human pickers. These co-bots take on heavy lifting or repetitive moves, letting humans focus on decision-making tasks.

In practice, today’s warehouse robotics solutions are commercially mature. For instance, goods-to-person AMRs (like Amazon Robotics’ fleet) have moved beyond the pilot stage into thousands-of-units deployments.

Similarly, automated piece-picking systems have been fielded at e-commerce and pharmacy warehouses (see use cases below). 

Each system suits different needs: AMRs and ASRS are ideal for high-volume, high-variety fulfillment, whereas fixed conveyor/robot lines excel in very high-rate sortation or palletizing. Collaborative robots often augment human tasks in smaller facilities or to relieve labor bottlenecks.

What are the practical benefits of warehouse robots?

Robotic systems bring actionable benefits to warehousing operations, including:

• Improved accuracy & inventory sync: Robotic systems integrate tightly with WMS software, ensuring every move is tracked. Automated scanning by bots keeps inventory data current, reducing mispicks and stockouts. (For instance, humanless AGV shuttles can update inventory in real time as they move shelves.) Many solutions boast near-100% order accuracy due to computer-guided picking.
• Higher throughput & speed: Automation slashes travel time and cycle times. Goods-to-person AMRs can double or triple pick rates by eliminating walking. In one warehouse, introducing a goods-to-person ASRS quadrupled efficiency and boosted throughput by 250%. Even simple mobile robots (tuggers) keep inventory moving continuously.
• Reduced labor strain and costs: Robots handle heavy lifting and repetitive motions (e.g., carting, pallet building), letting staff focus on higher-level tasks. For example, one ASRS project cut labor costs by 50%. Maintenance aside, robots never tire or need breaks, whereas workers typically burn out on monotonous picking after a couple of hours.
• 24/7 operations and harsh environments: Similarly, robots can work overnight and in conditions tough on people (freezers, dust, narrow aisles). For example, refrigerated ASRS warehouses use specialized robots and conveyors for cold storage, something hard on human pickers.
• Scalable, flexible automation: Unlike fixed conveyors, AMRs and ASRS can scale modularly. You can add more robots to meet peak demand (and even lease via Robot-as-a-Service models). Modern systems require minimal infrastructure changes, making expansion faster.
• Worker safety & satisfaction: By automating heavy tasks (pallet building, floor loading), robots improve safety. An MIT study found that 60% of respondents working with robots and AI are optimistic about the potential for enhanced productivity and safety.

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Use cases: warehouse robots in action

Goods-to-person ASRS: Fashion Retail (Boot Barn)

Boot Barn’s Kansas City distribution center uses a Hai Robotics “HaiPick” ASRS (goods-to-person) to automate order fulfillment. Robots fetch and deliver totes and inventory to picking stations.

The result? 2× storage density (double goods in the same footprint) and 250% throughput increase, while cutting labor costs by 50%. This lets Boot Barn process over 500,000 units per week with 100% accuracy. Such systems excel in high-volume, high-turnover operations (e.g., apparel, ecommerce), dramatically speeding picking and compacting storage.

Autonomous mobile robots: Large E-Commerce (Amazon & DHL)

In Amazon’s fulfillment centers, thousands of Kiva/AMR robots transport shelves directly to pack stations, eliminating picker travel. 

Similarly, DHL Supply Chain deployed Locus AMRs in its warehouses: after introducing the bots, DHL tripled its cases picked per hour while also improving accuracy and worker satisfaction. Industry-wide, over 16,000 person-to-goods AMRs were in use by 2022, with major 3PLs expanding fleets (e.g., DHL grew from 500 to >2,000 LocusBots in one year).

These mobile robots are 'collaborative' in that they work alongside human pickers, guiding them or carrying their carts to streamline multi-order picking. AMR systems are ideal for fast-scaling needs (e.g., holiday surges): you can quickly add more units or reprogram routes, achieving flexible, site-wide automation.

Collaborative Robotic Picking: E-commerce & Pharmacies

Apotea (a Swedish online pharmacy with 50K orders/day) uses a 24/7 robotic picker (eOperator) working with an AutoStore cube system to automatically pick pharmaceuticals. 

The robot uses AI vision and suction to select items from bins, operating around the clock. Likewise, Amazon’s Sparrow system and startups like RightHand Robotics supply vision-guided robotic arms that pick items, ready for packaging.

Warehouse companies like Swisslog and Knapp have also installed robotic each-picking stations in their DCs. Though still maturing (robots pick slower or cover fewer SKUs than humans currently), these systems reduce strain by handling the most repetitive picks. Over time, as vision/AI improve, they promise to automate many piece-picking tasks entirely, further increasing uptime and consistency.

Each use case highlights a distinct system: ASRS goods-to-person robots for dense storage and fast case replenishment, fleets of AMRs for flexible multi-order picking, and collaborative robotic arms for detailed item handling. In all cases, integration with warehouse management software ensures real-time inventory tracking and synchronized operations.

Choosing the right system

Warehouse robotics isn’t one-size-fits-all. The best fit depends on your facility and goals. Key considerations include:

• Facility type & mix: High-volume e-commerce sites may favor AMR fleets and ASRS for fast picking. Cold-storage or pharma may choose ASRS cranes or cube-based robots optimized for chill conditions. Smaller DCs might start with a few cobots at packing stations.
• Product profiles: For small, diverse SKUs (apparel, electronics), goods-to-person (AMRs) and robotic pickers excel. For heavy/bulky goods (home goods, pallets), autonomous forklifts or palletizing robots might be better.
• Volume variability: If order peaks are seasonal, AMRs and RaaS models let you scale up as needed without huge CapEx. If steady high volume, fixed automation (conveyors, ASRS) yields max throughput.
• Space constraints: ASRS (high-bay cranes, cube systems) can multiply storage density, ideal where footprint is limited. Mobile robots handle existing layouts flexibly.
• Integration and ROI: Today’s systems link to WMS to provide real-time inventory. When evaluating robots, check metrics like labor savings, throughput gains, and ease of integration. 

For a scalable automation strategy, start with a pilot in the most labor-intensive area (e.g., order picking). Measure the throughput and accuracy gains, then expand gradually.

Mobile robots (AMRs/AGVs) often require only a floor plan update, so you can add units and shift routes as operations change. Likewise, add ASRS or cobots in modules, e.g., begin with one conveyor line plus robots, then duplicate it. Continuous monitoring of KPIs (order cycles, staffing, inventory accuracy) will guide the rollout.