Honeywell Universal Robotics Controller (HURC)

Superior Performance for Logistics Automation

By Matt Wicks, Chief Robotics Solution Architect

Labor Challenges Are Driving the Need for Robotics
Robotics in the DC are vital to handle growing order volumes and overcome labor availability and resourcing challenges

• E-commerce distribution volume is accelerating at a rate of 25% per year
• Industry growth outpaces the labor pool by a ratio of 6:1
• Manual operation is today’s norm for 80% of DCs

Current Solutions Can’t Keep Up
Robotic developers have typically turned to ROS (Robotic Operating System) and ROS2, which have significant drawbacks in a logistics environment

• Unreliable performance
• Slow adaptation to changing tasks and conditions
• Limitations collecting and sharing data between modules or other types of robots
• Multiple versions of application code often needed for each brand of robot

HURC Meets Market Needs for Performance and Functionality
HURC is built specifically for dynamic, unstructured environments like distribution centers and leverages Honeywell’s experience with warehousing and e-commerce

Designed in strategic collaboration with Carnegie Mellon University, HURC increases your speed to market by using common modules for:

Advanced Simulation Capabilities
Virtual environments allow for simulated concepting, testing and troubleshooting. This approach delivers custom high-performance solutions that minimize your risk and costs by enabling faster development of new applications.

• Physics-based simulation platform mirrors the real world
• Enables virtual code development and machine learning training
• Use the same code for simulations and real-world applications
• Faster validation of system operation and performance

Connected Foundation
Built for connectivity, HURC enables machine learning enhancements and better performance over time.

• Robots can teach other robots, even different types of robots
• Share training models anywhere with site-to-site machine learning
• Data analysis identifies opportunities for performance improvements
• Backing by Honeywell provides superior resources, domain expertise and commercialization processes

Sponsored content by Honeywell Robotics.