Member Article

Ocado develop robots to pick and pack

Ocado is in the process of developing robots to reduce reliance on workers in its distribution centre.

The online retailer, which has recently begun expanding its South East base, has filed an application to the US Patent and Trademark Office for a robotic system that will remove the need for aisles to let people and machines travel around a warehouse.

By taking out the aisles would mean Ocado, which also Morrisons and Waitrose groceries, could fit more goods into a smaller space, helping to improve efficiency and reducing costs, as reported by The Guardian.

The company said: “Ocado is always looking for ways to enhance its customer proposition through the development of industry-leading and proprietary technology. As a result, we file a number of patents each year but we may not choose to utilise everything that we patent.

“As the business grows in scale, we will continue to grow our workforce with a focus on providing the best and most efficient service to our customers.”

Earlier this year, Ocado reported its first ever annual profit at £72m as a result of ongoing expansion and partnerships with major supermarkets.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ellen Forster .