Analysis:
This innovation shows how far robotics, AI, and vision systems have come when dealing with the diversity of package types that the typical package sort operation deals with. This opens up the rest of the industry to deploy more of these types of systems into their networks. FedEx’s deployment showcases the state-of-the-art as Amazon just did something similar with its “Robin” robot. With the explosion of e-commerce due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this breakthrough will help not only FedEx, but the rest of the logistics industry to deal with the continued growth in shipments while also dealing with a shrinking workforce as Baby Boomers retire. This type of application also allows FedEx and others to reposition and upskill their workforce to address other tasks within their operations and not this monotonous task of picking and placing packages into a sorter. – Steve Crowe

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