Online supermarket Ocado is taking the human touch out of grocery packing

British online supermarket, Ocado is leading the way for automation technology. 3000 bots move around swiftly, at about four meters per second.

The Ocado warehouse is bigger than six Olympic-sized swimming pools. Now, other supermarkets around the world are using the license for this robot program.

Increasing grocery automation

The bots aim is to get groceries together quicker than humanly possible. They operate using advanced artificial intelligence. They look like washing machines on wheels and move in a flawless formation, within millimeters of each other.

The bots move quickly over large squares, with 21 containers underneath each square. Over 50,000 Ocado products fill the containers. The bots have an algorithm that tells them where to store the products.

When an order is received, the bots come to life and get straight to work. They know exactly what route and container they’re working on, using their carefully orchestrated systems.

The bots have mechanisms that allow them to pick and pack products. They work together to help each other throughout the day, clearing the way for each other and eliminating any congestions.

There are bots for grabbing containers, bots to pick and pack the items, and bots to finalise the order and put it in the delivery van. It takes less than 15 minutes to complete an order, and has a 99% accuracy rate.

Ocado is 21 years old and used traditional systems for many years. They worked with conveyor belts and cranes. However, this system is prone to human error and less productivity. Years ago, the orders took three hours to complete.

The new system is helping with productivity, cutting back on waste, improving accuracy and customer satisfaction.

Other supermarkets are hiring robots

Ocado is at the forefront of the online supermarket game, by using the latest automated technology. They now license this program to several major grocers around the world in the US, France, and Australia.

Although, according to market forecasting company Oxford Economics, up to 20 million manufacturing jobs around the world could be lost to robots by 2030.