Sinotrans “Smart Logistics” Delegation Visited VisionNav Robotics to Accelerate Corporation for New Projects

Sinotrans "Smart Logistics" Delegation Visited VisionNav Robotics to Accelerate Corporation for New Projects

   On September 5, 2019, Sinotrans "Smart Logistics" team visited VisionNav Robotics. They had detail technical communications with Dr. Li Luyang, CEO of VisionNav Robotics, about the upcoming automated warehousing project. Mr. Mo Haiyang, Assistant General Manager of VisionNav Robotics, also introduced their unmanned warehouse and latest technological achievements. In addition, both parties discussed in-depth on topics such as smart logistics, advantages and disadvantages of warehouse robots, project implementation experience, and so on.

Li Luyang introducing unmanned transportation roadmap to Sinotrans team

Sinotrans Smart Logistics Embraces New Changes as Logistics Giants Are All in transition

As China pursuing supply-side reform, and recent breakthrough and application of artificial intelligence, big data, LOT and 5G technology, all levels of the society have undergone profound changes, therefore the development of logistics industry is also facing an important inflection point. With the rapid development of cross-border logistics, e-commerce and mega-cities, large numbers of 3^rd party logistics, industrial logistics and ecommerce logistics start to focus on warehousing logistics, creating a new pattern for logistics industry.

• In 2014, JD.com started to build Asia No.1.
• In 2016 May, JD-X established.
• In 2017 May, Cainiao Network proposed to set up Smart Logistics Park in Yuhang
• In 2018 February, the Central Bureau of Beijing Post Area released intelligent transportation robot project for testing in public.
• In 2018 March, SF Express obtained the pilot license of drone operation.
• In 2018 Deppon Express planed to invest AGVs in its distribution center in Pudong on a trail basis.
• ……

As CMG’s unified logistics operation platform and brand, since its third strategic transformation, Sinotrans has always taken the goal of “building a world-class smart logistics platform enterprise” as its development goal. With the help of total digitalization, it completes the transformation of logistics providers and integrators to logistics platform providers by comprehensively reconstructing its operation, business and organization models. And the first step of such transformation is to reduce labor and increase logistics value and efficiency with mechanized, automated, unmanned equipment, as well as informationalized, digitized, intelligentized applications.

TOP10 Chinese Logistics Enterprises

2016 Ranking		2018 Ranking
Rank	Enterprise	Rank	Enterprise
1	Sinotrans	1	Sinotrans
2	Cosco Shipping Logistics	2	Cosco Shipping Logistics
3	SF Express	3	SF Express
4	CNPC Transportation	4	CNPC Transportation
5	Yuan Cheng Logistics	5	Yuan Cheng Logistics
6	Deppon Logistics	6	YTO Express
7	Fujian Provincial Communication Transportation	7	Deppon Logistics
8	YTO Express	8	JD.com Logistics)
9	JCtrans Logistics Group	9	JCtrans Logistics Group
10	Jizhong Energy Group International Logistics	10	Jizhong Energy Group International Logistics

Data sources: CCTA

Figure: The key of Sinotrans' "build to last" strategy is timely industry transform.

"The reason why we only work on unmanned forklifts and persist in this field for three years," Li Luyang introduced, is because VisionNav Robotics team knows that the landing of any material handling robots requires the support of massive data, including technical and industry recognition ability from a large number of scenarios. "We hope that being integrated can help to land scenarios faster, and we complete product iterative upgrade through digitalization." This is just align with the concept of digitalization proposed in smart logistics 3.0 by Sinotrans. VisionNav Robotics is willing to deepen "Smart Logistics" with Sinotrans to achieve greater cost reduction and increasing efficiency.

Material Handling Robots Seamlessly Apply in Modern Logistics? Peak Efficiency vs. Absolute Efficiency

In the field of logistics, the construction of warehousing platform is crucial to logistics costs. By the end of 2017, the area of commercial (room temperature) warehouses in China reached 1.038 billion square meters, 4% increase from a year earlier. Among them, stereoscopic warehouses accounted for 26.4%, single warehouses for 58%, and multistoried storehouses for 15.6%.

After a round of "enclosure" expansion, warehouse automation has become a basic requirement of modern logistics. AGV (automatic guided vehicle), automated shelving, picking robot, automatic identification, automatic sorting and other related devices have become standard configuration in a warehouse. However, unless there is further breakthrough in visual identification, artificial intelligence and LOT, the efficiency of robot operations is still lower than human operation. It is true that storage automation has made great process in informatization, but transferring and storage is still the short board. The huge difference between input and output discourage many enterprises to use material handling robots.

"Although robots cannot reach the same peak efficiency as human, they have always maintained its peak efficiency." Luyang Li said. To seamlessly integrate material handling robots into the modern logistics industry requires process optimization, which can reduce the occurrence of bursting problems that affect robot operation.

Technology Landing Requires the Focus on End-User Requirement and Scenario Analysis in Depth

"We have a lot in common", Mr. Gao, Head of Logistics Automation Contractor at Sinotrans South China headquarter, said with emotion during the discussion about project landing plan,. Sinotrans's upcoming automated warehousing project covers more than 20,000 square meters. It will be mainly used to serve industrial supply chain warehousing and logistics business. The plan is to use automated warehousing facilities covering the entire production line. VisionNav robot unmanned forklifts will act as "blood" circulation inside the warehouse. And it will also be a challenge for VisionNav Robotics to stack cages up to 9 meters. It will be the first application in the industry as well.

"Our interaction with customers is more like 'answering questions'. Because there are diverse scenarios in AGV downstream industry, it is very difficult to use a fixed product to meet actual requirement of different customer. We don’t produce forklift vehicle, instead we put more technical resources to better solve problems for our customers". So far, VisionNav Robotics can provide unmanned upgrade transformation to forklift from different brands, including main products from Linde, Nichiyu, Crown, Hangcha, Heli, Rebot, etc. With accumulated project experience in different scenarios, VisionNav Robotics has already realized multiple applications of warehousing logistics and production logistics  with different technologies, for example material transfer between production lines, from production line to warehouse, storage into high level, multi-layer stacking, etc.

Mr. Mo Haiyang also invited the delegation to visit VisionNav Robotics’ unmanned warehouse to understand our newly-developed multilayer cages stacking application. With a deep understanding of user scenarios, spatial perception and safety protection capability have been enhanced based on previous project experience. Forklift AGV now can stack and place cages very precisely for high-level position. Such breakthrough will help VisionNav Robotics further expand their application in a larger scope and depth.

Forklift AGVs for multilayer cages stacking

Mo Haiyang introducing their perception technology on the forklift AGV

Sinotrans delegates asked about unmanned forklift spatial perception and navigation technology, and expressed their affirmation of the stability and technical level of VisionNav Robotics unmanned forklift. In the end, both parties expressed strong expectations for the cooperation of project establishment. In the field of smart logistics, both parties can communicate in depth, empower each other, and achieve cost reduction during highly efficient operations.

End.

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Review: VisionNav Robotics Showing Its Forklift AGV in WRC 2019

Review: VisionNav Robotics Showing Its Forklift AGV in WRC 2019

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We are on the edge of change comparable to the rise of human life on Earth.

 — Vernor Vinge

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"Intelligent Ecosystem for a New Open Era", at the previous World Robot Conference 2019, VisionNav Robotics makes its first public appearance of the unmanned material handling solution based on vision navigation. It also became a highlight in smart logistics area.

Figure: 2019 World Robot Conference

Dazzling Technologies and Innovations Make the Future Within Reach

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WRC 2019 is composed three events: the World Forum on Robot, the World Robot Exhibition and World Robot Contest. The event brought together more than 300 experts and specialist in robotics from domestic and foreign countries, over 1000 participating teams, at least 180 well-known enterprises and institutions, as well as no less than 700 robots. It is one of the largest-scale, highest-level and most-internationalized robotics conference in Chinese robotics history.

Here you can see robots doing brain surgery, robot bands playing music passionately, dog-like robots ringing the bell to deliver a package, service robots giving Wink to the audience madly… They are the special receptionists, musicians, calligraphists, coffee makers, food delivery staff, firemen, photographers, doctors, and teachers in the exhibition. Perhaps audience who were amazed by the robot's performance yesterday will be the witnesses of the start of future world in 10 years.

 [Figure: Surgery Robot]

 [Figure: Delivery Robot]

 [Figure: Fireman Robot]

 [Figure: Robot Band]

Integration of Human Robot Collaboration: Intelligent Warehouse Logistics

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"The era we are in is a time when human robot collaboration is undergoing a major transformation, which offers us great opportunities and challenges." said by Oussama Khatib, the President of the International Foundation of Robotics Research (IFRR)

From “utilize and being utilized” to “harmonious co-existence”, via human robot collaboration, a robot revolution initiated by intelligent warehouse logistics is coming.

Although robots are rapidly expanding from traditional application such as material handling and assembly, to more intelligent fields for instance manufacturing, medical health, and life services in recent years, from the current development trends, only industrial robots, especially warehouse logistics robots, can truly establish their base in rigid demand and the supply chain to achieve mass and large-scale production.

[Figure: Booth of JD.com Smart Logistics]

[Figure: Booth of Meituan Food Unmanned Delivery]

[Figure: Booth of Food Serving Robots]

Material Handling Solution Based on Sustainable Development from VisionNav Robotics Attracts Great Attention

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At the just-concluded WRC 2019, VisionNav Robotics use real robot to perform real material handling, which attracted great interest to audience and media. Their unmanned material handling solutions caused heated discussions.

The counterbalanced unmanned forklift presented by VisionNav Robotics this time uses advanced technology in the industry including vision navigation, spatial perception, advanced algorithm, cloud computing and storage technology. With navigation accuracy of ±10cm and stopping accuracy of ±5cm., it can realize unmanned operation such as goods horizontal transportation, stacking and placing the shelves. Currently such unmanned forklift have been widely applied in manufacturing logistics and warehousing logistics.

[Figure: Media Have Reported the Rising Discussion of Unmanned transportation]

During an online interview at WRC live media room on August 22, Dr. Li Luyang, co-founder and CEO of VisionNav Robotics, introduced the core technologies, implementation methods and application scenarios of unmanned forklift. He said his team is working hard to build a modular driverless platform, hoping to achieve a breakthrough in "easy to use" by lowering the technical threshold, so that partners and users can maintenance robots more easily.

[Figure: Li Luyang at WRC live media room]

On August 23, Dr. Zhou Jianping, chief designer of China’s human spaceflight engineering project, visited the booth of VisionNav Robotics. He asked about implementation application scenarios and market prospects of vision navigation technology, and highly praised old forklift unmanned transformation solution. He said such solution can truly help enterprise for sustainable development.

[Figure: Dr. Zhou Jianping visited the booth of VisionNav Robotics]

VisionNav Robotics was founded in 2016 by an EngD team from the University of Tokyo and the Chinese university of Hong Kong, headquartered in Shenzhen with branches in Hongkong and Foshan. VisionNav Robotics is dedicated to build a driverless universal technical platform to deliberate global industrial vehicles. At present, the unmanned transformation upgrades have been done to forklifts, tractors, port cranes, and the projects have been landed.

VisionNav Robotics

Forklift AGVs for Automatic Material Handling in Retail Industry Man-mac...

Visual-navigated forklift AGVs for Retail Industry Warehouse, helping the warehouse keeper:

Automatic code scan √

Automatic Outbound √

Automatic Storage √

dock WMS/WCS/RCS system √

NEW Product！VisionNav Storage Location Detection System

NEW Product！VisionNav Storage Location Detection System
Based on deep learning image identification technology, detect storage location situation in real-time,  effectively identify the goods, pallets, forklifts, operators and other objects in the warehouse. By sharing object information to WMS system and central control system, to provide storage location safety information and to help unmanned operation of AGVs, patrol robots and other intelligent devices.

Warehouse Storage Detection System

Accurate Identification: identify vehicles, goods, carriers, personnel and other objects accurately in complex scenarios based on intelligent deep learning image identification technology;

Safety Management: detect object situation in real time, send early warnings of security risks such as illegal break-in, improper operation onsite, etc., and provide video stream data to the customer and help to manage safety  with safety strategy based on AI algorithm;

Strong Anti-interference Ability: reduce the impact of scenario changes, varying lighting, and other factors on the identification, and realize accurate object identification and dynamic object check

High Flexibility: the design of the system is highly flexible for seamless integration with safety management system, WMS system and dispatch system, and to facilitate human-machine collaboration and scientific management.

Driveless forklift AGVs application in 3rd party logistics

VisionNav forklift AGV Application: Transport auto parts of different specifications and types, long distance of 780m; High rack stacking, avoiding dangerous work and improve storage operation.

Chinese E-Commerce Giant First Reveal Its Use of Forklift AGV in its Unmanned Warehouse

Abstract: Forklift AGV is first introduced in a fully automated warehouse in Nanjing owned by Suning, one of the largest e-commerce retailers. It can transport pallets between storage and sorting area, and collaborate seamlessly with the Tianji system, stereoscopic warehouse and other types of AGVs.

Suning unmanned Warehouse

It is reported that during 818 shopping event in 2019 (one of the largest shopping festivals in China), Suning tested its new unmanned warehouse in Nanjing Yuhua Logistics base. The result shows that their picking efficiency can reach over 600 pieces per hour, and commodity can be delivered out of the warehouse as fast as 20 minutes. This time forklift AGV from VisionNav Robotics is responsible for handling pallets. It is also the first time that forklift type AGV has been used in a Chinese forklift e-commerce unmanned warehouse.

Driven by consumption and capital, ecommerce giants all invest in unmanned warehouse

In recent years, with mobile devices popularization, online payment development, O2O retail penetration and the driving force of vigorous consumption, e-commerce business has is on its way to even more robust growth globally. Industry insiders predict that the global e-commerce total sales in 2019 will reach $ 3.3 trillion.

Global e-commerce investment and funding continued to rebound since 2018. With the support of capital, big data can accurately forecast the consumption, making it possible to deploy production and inventory of the goods in advance. E-commerce warehousing and logistics present a trend of pre supply chain. And e-commerce giants begins to increase investment in unmanned warehouses.

 

JD.com’s Asia No.1

Cainiao’s Future Park

Rebuild warehouse logistics scenarios to start a new journey for unmanned technology

The key focus ecommerce future development is to the reconstruction, experience and delivery of warehousing and logistics scenarios. At the launch of 818 conference, Yao Kai, CEO of Suning Logistics Group emphasized that "Suning Logistics have to become a logistics infrastructure platform driven by technology and efficiency." In the coming year, unmanned warehouses should gradually replace traditional warehouses. A new start for e-commerce logistics is coming soon.

Unmanned warehousing means there is no human working in the entire logistics processes from storage, placing on shelves, order picking, replenishment, to packaging, inspection, delivery. It usually consists of auto-stereoscopic warehouse, AGVs, shuttles, sorters, robots and other intelligent facilities. Unmanned warehousing can truly realize automated operations, operational digitalization and decision-making intellectualization. Order picking accuracy can reach 99.9% and delivery efficiency can be 5-10 times higher than traditional manual methods.

Suning’s Super Cloud Warehouse

Unmanned forklift AGV connects AS/RS and sorting robots seamlessly

After autonomous heavy truck Xing Long One, automatic vehicle Wo Long one, AGVs and drones, a new member has been join the automation army: unmanned forklift from VisionNav Robotics.

Auto picking at the end of AS/RS

Automatic scan and transmit information

Collaborate with other AGVs

Vision navigation unmanned forklift from VisionNav Robotics can pick and place goods accurately. This is because when combining spatial perception and strong algorithms, vision technology can help to locate precisely without making any changes to the onsite environment. Such forklift AGV can not only intelligently transport goods in large bulks, but also connect sorting robots and AS/RS. In addition, the integration VisionNav Robotics’ latest storage location monitoring system and central control system and Suning’s Tianji system also facilitate goods dispatch.

GAC Group-Automotive manufacturting double-layer cage stacking by Vision...

Vision-navigated Tractor AGV-Outdoor operation under the Sleet

Why do we recommend forklift AGV? Cost-effective unmanned warehouse can improve producer services experience

With the growth of AI technology, unmanned warehouses gradually become possible. Some experts believe automatic warehouse is one of the key measurements to enhance producer service experience. However, pressures from rising wages and push from emerging industries are leading manufacturers to reconsider the investment plan for unmanned warehouse and automated facilities.

Unmanned warehouse is too much to afford with rising manufacturing cost

There are mainly two ways to have a fully automated warehouse: build brand-new intelligent warehouses to replace existing facilities, or convert existing facilities in the warehouse make it automatic.

For giant companies in manufacturing industry, building large new automatic warehouses is an effective move against profit squeeze. But it is another story for small and medium enterprises. Challenges are not only to buy automatic facilities such as AGV robots and AS/RS systems, or the expensive technical service followed, but also to sacrifice a great part of productivity during equipment installation. Such “makeover” is a real headache.

Photo: JD.com's “Asia No.1” Warehouse in Shanghai

Forklift AGV becomes an urgent demand to impel intelligent manufacture

It seems that converting existing facilities to automatize traditional warehouse is the only option to go. And this is exactly what VisionNav Robotics can provide.

"Forklift is one of the primary loader equipment mostly used in warehouses and factories. When we upgrade traditional forklifts into forklift AGVs, we are also helping our customer to maximize their current assets and to save their labor costs.” said Dr. Li Luyang, co-founder and CEO of VisionNav Robotics.

But how to upgrade? VisionNav Robotics uses indirect external or pure external methods to upgrade forklifts. With combination to company processes, integration to superior software and collaboration with other automatic equipment, forklift unmanned upgrade is quick and easy.

Unmanned forklift technology mainly includes three elements:

1) Navigation technology: there are electro-magnetic, laser, inertial, GPS, two-dimensional code, vision, and other types in the market. Although laser + inertial and vision (camera) are both commonly used for forklift AGVs, vision navigation is the more suitable in various working conditions in terms of cost and position accuracy,

Figure: VisionNav Robotics reveals vision positioning technology under high-speed

2) Perception: the identification of pallets and cages, precise picking with self-adaptive fork, rack beam detection, cargo stacking and spatial detection all rely on perception technique. "We’ve spent around 1 year to optimize spatial perception capabilities of driverless forklifts, which becomes a great breakthrough in many of our projects." Fang Mu, CTO of VisionNav Robotics, believes spatial perception technology is the key factor to the success of unmanned forklifts applications.

VisionNav Robotics forklift AGV: pallet detection and fork arm self-adaptation

VisionNav Robotics forklift AGV: storage location detection

VisionNav Robotics forklift AGV: in-place detection

3) Safety: To replacing human by robots, safety is the first priority. Safety protection normally includes contact and non-contact protection. Non-contact protection is to use sensors to scan obstacles in external environment for safety avoidance. Laser obstacle avoidance is the most widely used because it’s the most mature and safe. It is also superior to infrared and ultrasonic in terms of accuracy, feedback speed, anti-interference ability and effective range. Contact protection is more for vehicle body protection. The most common approach is to install bumpers all around the vehicle body.

VisionNav Robotics forklift AGV: laser obstacle avoidance

VisionNav Robotics forklift AGV: mechanical bumper

VisionNav Robotics unmanned solution application

VisionNav Robotics is committed to create a universal platform for industrial driverless vehicles. Start with forklift AGV, VisionNav Robotics can break through communication barriers for intelligent manufacturing, and improve producer service experience as soon as possible.

At present, VisionNav Robotics unmanned project has launched in many famous world-class companies. They helped more than 150 companies in the past two years with unmanned upgrade solutions. Industries cover e-commerce logistics, automotive new energy, FMCG, manufacturing, bonded, 3rd parties logistics and so on.

Application to accurately stack more than 30 different types of cages in an automotive parts manufacturing company in Southern China

Visual navigation unmanned forklift AGV application for 7.5 meters high rack shelf in a famous FMCG company

AGV automatically transport and “hold” the elevator under complex human-robot-collaboration surroundings in a food storage container manufacturer