Intralogistics technology to be key focus area at IMHX 2022

Sales of autonomous mobile robots and driverless lift trucks are taking off but the game-changing intralogistics technologies we will see later this year at industry-leading event IMHX go much further than the simple replacement of man by machine, explains event director, Rob Fisher. Across the intralogistics sector, sales of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are booming. In a recent report, Interact Analysis forecast that more than 1.1 million robots will be deployed in warehouses around the world before the end of 2024. And almost a fifth of respondents quizzed earlier this year for the IMHX Optimism Index expected to be using AMRs to some extent within the next 12 months - a remarkably high figure for a technology that was seen as futuristic just a few years ago. In simple terms, AMR technology differs from the science behind long-established Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in that the units do not rely on human interaction to change route. Instead, on-board navigation systems guide them between destinations. Until now China and the USA have been the top two investors in AMR sortation systems, but Europe’s logistics community is increasingly conscious of the benefits that this innovative, low capex approach brings. Of course, other forms of robotic and automated intralogistics technology are taking off too. For example, driverless forklifts undertake every type of task that would be expected of a manually-operated forklift. DHL and Walmart are among the high-profile businesses to have already adopted driverless lift trucks. IMHX 2022 takes place from 6-8 September at the NEC, Birmingham. See also: Rhenus Logistics upgrades warehouse facility in IndiaMulti-modal Logistics Park to be awarded in Chennai