The Robot Report

Pick-and-Place Robots Help FedEx Handle e-commerce Growth

Organization: FedEx
Country: USA
Website: www.fedex.com
Year Founded: 1971
Number of Employees: 500+

Each robot sorts between 1000-1400 packages per hour depending on package mix.

Description:
In 2020, FedEx introduced four pick-and-place robots into its small package sort facility at the Memphis Hub. These robots were one of the first of their kind when it came to sorting packages at a major sorting facility. The robots work two 4-hour shifts - a day sort and a night sort. Each robot sorts anywhere from 1000-1400 packages per hour depending on package mix. In 2021, FedEx plans to expand the number of robots not only in Memphis, but other operations in its network.

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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