By Roberto Michel April 11, 2024

根据沃尔玛今天发布的一篇博客文章，经过16个月的概念验证，零售巨头沃尔玛将在其四个高科技DC推出福克斯机器人公司的19辆无人驾驶叉车。

在沃尔玛6020配送中心总经理Maurice Gray的帖子中，Gray解释说，机器人单元正被用于完全自动化装载码头流程，自动从拖车上卸载货物托盘，然后送往自动化立体库（AS/RS）。
根据格雷的帖子，有叉车经验的员工正在接受监督Foxbot自动叉车的培训。格雷举了一个同事何塞·莫利纳的例子，他在沃尔玛有26年的工作经验，过去常常驾驶叉车卸货，现在负责FoxBot自动驾驶单元的操作。格雷写道：“在何塞过去手动卸货的地方，他现在可以指挥FoxBot自动叉车达到三倍的产量。”。
格雷解释说，自动驾驶单元提供了提高技能的机会，而经验丰富的操作员的监督对自动化的有效性很重要。正如格雷所说，“同事们不再手动卸载托盘，而是成为指挥——根据自己的经验，考虑卸载拖车的最佳、最有效的方式。我看着球员们成为教练，我印象深刻。”
沃尔玛是福克斯机器人公司的投资者，也是其解决方案的最终用户。福克斯机器人公司总裁兼首席执行官Marin Tchakarov在沃尔玛随帖子提供的评论中表示，“我们将此次合作视为我们技术和产品能力的最新大规模验证点，巩固了我们在仓库运输和收货码头自动化领域的领导地位。”

After a 16-month proof of concept, retail giant Walmart is rolling out 19 autonomous lift trucks from Fox Robotics at four of its high-tech DCs, according to a Walmart blog post that came out today.

In the post by Maurice Gray, General Manager of Walmart's Distribution Center 6020, the high-tech DC where the proof of concept took place, Gray explained that the robotic units are being used to fully automate loading dock processes, autonomously unloading pallets of goods from trailer, which at his DC, are then inducted into an automated storage & retreival system (AS/RS).

According to Gray's post, associates with lift truck experience are being trained to oversee the Foxbot autonomous lift trucks. Gray cited the example of one associate, Jose Molina, with 26 years of experience with Walmart, who used to unload trucks manually, and now directs the FoxBot autonomous units. "Where Jose used to unload manually, he can now direct a FoxBot autonomous forklift to three times the same output," Gray wrote.

Gray explained autonomous units offer a chance for upskilling, while the oversight from experienced operators is important to the effectiveness of the automation. As Gray put it, "Instead of unloading the pallets manually, associates become conductors – considering the best, most efficient way to unload trailers based on their own experience. I’m watching players become coaches, and I couldn’t be more impressed."

Walmart is an investor in Fox Robotics, in addition to being an end user of its solution. In a comment Walmart provided along with the post, Marin Tchakarov, Fox Robotics' president and CEO, stated, "We see this collaboration as the latest massive validation point of our technology and product capabilities, solidifying our leadership position in the warehouse shipping and receiving dock automation space."