siliconindia | | February 20188A utonomous technologies are boosting operational efficiencies and enhanc-ing positive outcomes for warehouses, manufactur-ing units and distribution centres... Just as the assembly line once revolutionised manufacturing, especially in automotive segment, au-tonomous technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) are poised to trans-form the warehousing and industrial sectors. The rapid emergence of AI is a fascinating tale in itself, but its im-portance in warehousing and industri-al sectors needs special mention. Worldwide, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and Robotics have been transforming warehousing and other industries through the sheer speed of manufacturing, assembly and distribution of various products. The benefits include higher productivity and better outcomes due to the im-proved product quality, the flexibility of operations as well as turnaround and delivery times, among others. Transformative OfferingsSince sustained quality improvements, enhanced productivity and flexibility in processes have always been a ma-jor challenge for diverse industries, autonomous technologies are trigger-ing a paradigm change in multiple do-mains. The impact in warehouses and industries is worth noting. Every domain harbours varied challenges. For instance, any man-ufacturing unit and its warehousing and distribution centres (DCs) would face hurdles such as poor traceability; volatile production output; fluctuating order delivery time; seasonal vagaries & variations; space constraints; ship-ment accuracy issues; dependence on human resources, and others. In all the above aspects, AI and automation offer relevant solutions. Embedded chips and sensors ensure products are always traceable. Auto-mated manufacturing and movement mean production output is assured and delivery is done as per predeter-mined schedule. Moreover, seasonal vagaries and variations in demand can be addressed by flexible production lines. Alternately, production lines can adapt for products to be shipped to new markets. Space constraints can be avoided since warehouses would only store limited inventories for shorter durations due to the speedy movement of goods. With barcoding and GPS tracking, shipment accuracy can be ensured. Finally, dependence on the human workforce is no longer mandatory, as robots and automated mechanisms undertake production and distribution of goods. Presently, companies specialising in AI-allied technologies are working 24x7 in developing systems and solu-tions that can alleviate specific hur-dles by boosting operational and sup-IN MY OPINIONTHE IMPACT OF AUTONOMOUS TECHNOLOGIES ON THE WAREHOUSING & INDUSTRIAL SECTORSBy Anuj Kapuria, Founder & CEO, The Hi-Tech Robotic SystemzThe Hi-Tech Robotic Systemz is a Gurgaon-based Robotics company specializing in the areas of Self Driving Vehicles, AI, Driver Assistive Systems, Autonomous Mobile Industrial Robots, Deep Learning, Computer Vision, Embedded Systems, Machine Learning, Automotive Software, and many others.
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