FedEx’s New Robot Loads Delivery Trucks Like It’s Playing 3D Tetris

Imagine a world where you can run your online business without worrying about the hassle of shipping and delivery. A world where you can focus on creating and selling your products, while a smart robot takes care of the rest. Sounds too good to be true, right? Well, not anymore.

Do you know what FedEx does? It is a company that delivers packages all over the world. But delivering packages is not an easy job. There are many steps involved, and one of them is loading a truck with packages.

What’s this new robot?

You might think that loading a truck is simple. You just put the packages inside, right? Wrong. Loading a truck is actually very hard, especially when the packages are different in size, shape, weight, and material. You have to arrange them in a way that they fit well and don’t get damaged. You also have to do it fast and efficiently.

This is why FedEx has created a new robot called DexR. DexR is a two-armed robot that can load a truck with packages using artificial intelligence. AI is a technology that makes machines smart and able to learn from data and experience.

What is DexR really capable of?

DexR can see the packages with cameras and lidar sensors. Lidar sensors are devices that use laser beams to measure distances and shapes. DexR can also think of the best way to stack the packages inside the truck, using a type of AI called generative AI. Generative AI can create new things, such as images, music, or text, based on data and rules.

DexR can also feel the packages with force-feedback. Force-feedback is a feature that lets robots sense how much pressure they are applying or receiving. DexR can also adapt to changes, such as if a package slips or if the stack does not match its plan.

DexR is an amazing robot that can do something that was very hard for machines before. Here’s what Rebecca Yeung, vice president of operations and advanced technology at FedEx, has to say:

A few years ago, AI was not at a stage where it was smart enough to handle this kind of complex decision-making,

How are robots used in ecommerce?

FedEx is not the only company that uses robots for package handling. Ecommerce, which is the business of buying and selling things online, has made package handling a very important and innovative area for robot development.

For example, Amazon, which is the biggest ecommerce company in the world, has thousands of robots in its warehouses. These robots can move products around, sort them, and pack them. Amazon also uses AI to make its robots smarter and more efficient.

Robots are becoming more common in many workplaces, thanks to advances in AI and engineering. Matthew Johnson-Roberson, director of the robotics institute at Carnegie Mellon University, says that robots can help businesses save money and improve productivity.

He also says that we are just at the beginning of a new wave of commercial robotics.

In the last year or two, people have taken advances in AI and machine learning and said ‘we can make a real business case here’.

So, how is this new robot any different from the rest?

Do you know how hard it is to load and unload trucks in a warehouse? It’s not like picking items from shelves, which robots can already do. It’s a much tougher challenge, because you have to deal with different sizes and shapes of boxes in a very tight space. That’s why this new robot is so impressive. It can handle this task with ease, thanks to its advanced AI and robotics skills. Don’t you think that’s amazing?

But wait, there’s more. This robot is not only good at loading and unloading trucks. It can also learn to do other tasks in the warehouse, such as sorting and packing parcels. This means it can help FedEx to improve its operations and efficiency. FedEx already uses some robots from another company, Berkshire Grey, to sort parcels inside some facilities. But the new robot from Dexterity has more capabilities and can work faster than a skilled human. How cool is that?

Of course, some people might worry that robots will take away jobs from humans. This is already happening in some industries, such as the auto industry, where new technologies like electrification and autonomous driving are changing the way cars are made. But maybe we can also see the positive side of robots. They can help us do the hard and boring work, while we focus on the creative and meaningful work. So why not use these technologies in your own business? Believe it or not, but thanks to these new developments, right now is the best time to start dropshipping!

How can you use these advancements for dropshipping?

This technology can benefit online businesses in several ways. First, it can reduce the need for human workers, which can lower labor costs and avoid human errors. Second, it can increase the speed and accuracy of loading and unloading, which can improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Third, it can optimize the use of space in delivery vans, which can reduce fuel consumption and environmental impact.

Automation is not only useful for loading delivery vans, but also for other aspects of ecommerce, such as inventory management, order processing, payment processing, customer support, and marketing. By using automated dropshipping tools, ecommerce businesses can streamline their workflows, save time and money, and focus on more important tasks that require creativity and strategy.

With all these advancements, now is the best time ever to start dropshipping! Just get your own ecommerce store for free with Sellvia’s 14-day free trial and start making money!

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