Two start-ups, Exotec & CommonSense, have recently unveiled small footprint AS/RS and mobile robot combinations.
CommonSense has built a more familiar gantry crane system on rack with a single purpose mobile robot on the ground (albeit in a much smaller form factor than found in a normal distribution center).
Exotec appears to be filling both storage / retrieval and transportation functions with a single general purpose robot that can traverse rack on tracks and move freely on the ground.
In high throughput applications, Exotec's loss of specialization will lead to lower speeds (i.e. an AS/RS robot designed only to move on rack will outperform a robot design to move on rack & the ground). In low throughput applications, the design could save money by reducing the total number of servos and motors that the system would require.
Both start-ups appear to be layering additional business models (fulfillment service or third party logistics) into their business model so the unit economics may not make sense to purchase one of these automation solutions on a capex business case. It will be interesting to see if the AS/RS incumbents begin exploring similar mini-solutions.
