DexR robot stacks packages onto FedEx trailers with Tetris-like precision
I don’t like to brag, but I consider myself an organizational genius. Want help arranging all the items in your pantry by expiration date, container type, and regular usage? I’ve already drafted a new, optimized layout on graph paper. Do you dream of a garage where your tools, sporting equipment, and holiday decorations are properly stored? I know where to find the best deal on plastic stacking totes. Need a new color-coded filing system for your important documents? Don’t worry. I brought my label maker. But even I can’t compete with an AI-enabled robot that can pick and perfectly pack boxes onto a delivery vehicle.
Dexterity AI, a robotics company specializing in creating intelligent robots with human-like dexterity, recently partnered with FedEx to design an AI-powered robot to load boxes into trucks and trailers. While loading packages may seem like a simple task, the reality is that deciding how to stack boxes of various sizes, shapes, weights, and packaging materials can be extremely complex. In an effort to combat these issues, Dexterity AI has introduced DexR, a mobile robot equipped with a range of intelligences including the ability to see, touch, think, and move quickly to aid in truck loading. A powered conveyor transports packages to the two-armed robot that can simultaneously pick and pack boxes.
In a recent article for WIRED, author Will Knight wrote, “Each time it places a box in a stack, the system uses force-feedback to ensure the package fits tightly, and it also scans the stack using cameras and depth sensors to see how it compares to its existing model. Any discrepancy will require the robot to adapt its stacking plan as it goes along.”
In a recent quote, Rebecca Yeung, corporate vice president of Operations Science and Advanced Technologies for FedEx, said, “Our culture of innovation is driven by a desire to help our team members and customers succeed. Based on feedback from our operations team, we have been looking for a solution that helps alleviate the challenges of truck loading. Collaborating with Dexterity AI to combine the latest in AI and robotics supports our operations team while meeting growing customer demand.”
Samir Menon, founder and CEO of Dexterity AI, said, “FedEx shares our belief that innovation should solve the most difficult tasks in operations. Our collaboration is driven by a vision of AI-powered robotics that is adaptable to our customer’s most pressing needs.”