Walmart Running Into Trouble as Its Super-Expensive Robots Can’t Handle the Realities of Warehouse Work
It's an automation "arms race." The post Walmart Running Into Trouble as Its Super-Expensive Robots Can’t Handle the Realities of Warehouse Work appeared first on Futurism .
Walmart, despite spending billions on warehouse automation, is finding it difficult to get even the most basic robots to function. The Wall Street Journal reports that tasks like removing items from cardboard boxes prove to be a significant hurdle. After partnering with multiple robotics firms, Walmart ultimately opted for small wheeled robots in numerous stores.
However, these robots struggle with larger, heavier items like bags of dog food and frequently break down, indicating the difficulties of automating complex real-world tasks. Walmart's executives promise that automation will lead to fewer human workers, but that shift is proving to be costly. Engineers hired to maintain the robots are reportedly spending more than unskilled warehouse employees.
The situation is not unique to Walmart. Amazon is also investing heavily in automation, leading to a competitive 'arms race' between retailers. However, the financial commitment is proving to be a challenge, as evidenced by Kroger's $2.6 billion write-off after an automated fulfillment network failed to deliver results. The pursuit of humanoid warehouse robots, while ambitious, still seems like a distant possibility.
While companies invest billions in creating bipedal robots, practical applications for physical labor remain elusive.
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