Supply Chain Tech at CES 2023
The Consumer Electronic Show (CES) took place from Friday, January 5th to Sunday, January 8th this year. CES is one of the biggest annual tech events in the world and is hosted by the Consumer Technology Association. The event provides a platform for companies of all sizes to showcase their innovative technologies.
Everything from cars to TVs to smart home devices, including devices that can analyze your urine, was showcased at CES. Supply chain technology was not an exception.
Here are fifteen supply chain technologies featured at the show this year.
- Mercedes-Benz is putting its factories into the metaverse.
The automaker has signed up to use Nvidia’s Omniverse Enterprise, a software platform used to build and operate metaverse applications. Mercedes will use the software to design, plan, and optimize its factories. With the software, Mercedes will create a digital twin of its factories and simulate new production processes within. Everything from the assembly lines, workers, and robots can be simulated to help with the design process before the factory is live. The benefits? Quickly react to supply chain disruptions, assess potential bottlenecks, reconfigure assembly lines, find points of failure for robots, and create more ergonomic working conditions. Mercedes plans to scale out the technology to all their factories globally.
2. Nvidia adds humans to their robotics simulation software, Isaac Sim.
Isaac Sim allows roboticists to run simulations of real-world working conditions so that they can test their robots. With the rise in collaborative robots and autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) working alongside employees, they need to be considered when building out the functionality of the robots. In the latest release, Isaac Sim software users can now add people and 3D assets like warehouse parts and conveyor belts to the virtual environments.
3. Formlabs, a 3D printing company, announced its Automation Ecosystem.
The Automation Ecosystem is a set of solutions that will enable customers to increase their 3D printing output. The new tools include Form Auto (automatic part removal), improvements to their software suite (queue management, workflow optimization), and increased resin capacity. The increased printer utilization would help companies produce parts and prototypes 24/7. Formlabs says the system will lead to a three-time increase in productivity, save up to 80% on labor, lower cost per unit by 30%, and reduce packaging waste by up to 90%.
4. Ottonomy, a delivery robots manufacturer, debuted a new autonomous delivery robot called Ottobot Yeti.
The Yeti is a 200-pound robot with two compartments allowing the bot to make two unique stops. The robot is designed to deliver groceries and packages while using lidar and cameras to maneuver independently. This robot is different from the others because it has an auto-dispense mechanism that no longer requires a person to be present to receive the delivery. When the robot arrives at its destination, a rear door lifts, and an internal shelf raises at an angle allowing the package to slide out to the ground. Ottonomy calls the Yeti “the first fully autonomous unattended delivery robot on the market.”
5. Pod Group unveils an ultra-thin asset tracking device at CES 2023.
The device acts as a smart label and can monitor the location and temperate of items. The Pod Group made the device in collaboration with SODAQ and Lufthansa Industry Solutions (LHIND). The device is powered by low-power cellular connectivity and is reusable. The LHIND platform uses geolocation markers to monitor the movement of items and alerts senders when their packages have arrived or are left at key points during their journey.
6. Willog unveiled their latest innovation in supply chain visibility — item condition visibility.
Combining sensor technology with Willog’s visibility platform will give shippers insights into the condition of their items. About 11% of unit loads arrive at a distribution center with some damage. With this level of visibility, companies can make more informed decisions and avoid accountability issues and potential disruptions while boosting operational efficiency.
7. German Bionic’s Cray X exoskeleton wins the Best of Innovation Award for Wearable Technologies.
German Bionic is making technology that helps make physically demanding jobs safer. The Cray X is a fully-connected, powered exoskeleton used in industrial environments such as logistics, production, and construction. The exoskeleton is designed to give 66 lbs worth of support that helps protect the lower back and provides active walking assistance to prevent fatigue. German Bionic also showed off its Apogee exoskeleton, a lighter, more intelligent version of the Cray X. The Apogee is designed to be worn for long periods of time in commercial settings. German Bionic’s exoskeletons collect and analyze data about workers’ activities while they wear the suit. When the suit detects unsafe movements, it’ll display feedback on the onboard display or via audio. You can read more about their exoskeletons and even their Smart SafetyVest here.
8. Autonomous trucking startups did not shy away from CES 2023.
Companies such as Gatik, Plus, Kodiak Robotics, Waabi, Waymo, and Aurora made appearances. Waabi showed off its autonomous driving system for the first time. Waymo brought its full line-up of self-driving vehicles, including their Freightliner Cascadia tractor equipped with Waymo Driver. Gatik brought one of their autonomous box trucks used for short-haul operations. Plus showed off their next-generation PlusDriver driver-assist technology. One of the trucks in Paccar’s lineup showcased Aurora’s self-driving technology. The autonomous trucking companies noted that the sentiment within the trucking industry is starting to shift in their favor. Waabi’s CEO said: “For the customers, a few years ago it was a question of do I really want or need this technology. Today it’s all about when can you actually deliver the technology. … That’s a big switch.” FleetOwner also wrote an article covering trucking technologies at CES 2023. The trucking technologies showcased included vehicle autonomy, advanced driver assistance systems, tires, electric vehicles, and electric charging infrastructure.
9. The Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) showed off several technologies at CES, two of which included a delivery robot and a metal working robot.
The delivery robot is called Cubot ONE, and the bot can travel indoors and outdoors, take elevators, and navigate signalized intersections. Cubot ONE has already been used to complete 7-Eleven orders in Taiwan as part of their automated delivery service, foodmo. The ITRI also showcased a metal-working robot called RobotSmith that could manufacture plumbing fixtures, knives, and medical devices.
10. Ouster, a lidar sensor provider, announced a strategic partnership with Cyngn, an autonomous driving solutions developer.
Ouster’s new digital lidar sensors will be part of Cyngyn’s DriveMod platform. DriveMod is an end-to-end autonomous solution that can make existing and new material-handling equipment operate autonomously. At CES, they showcased a Columbia Stockchaser cargo vehicle equipped with Ouster’s sensors and Cyngyn’s DriveMod platform to make it navigate autonomously.
11. In December, Vueron Technologies announced its plans to reveal its self-driving delivery truck at CES 2023.
Vueron, a South Korea-based company, sells vision products. VueOne uses one lidar sensor to help autonomous vehicles detect obstacles, and VueTwo is for IoT and smart city applications for safety and security use cases. As part of the announcement, Vueron has partnered with Teamfresh, a South Korean cold chain logistics provider, to provide it with self-driving trucks.
12. Neubility’s self-driving delivery robot, Neubie, received a CES 2023 Innovation Award in the smart cities category.
Neubie uses V-SLAM cameras instead of lidar to operate in high-density downtown areas. They are currently testing their robots in downtown Seoul and Songdo, South Korea. As of October 2022, Neubility and Goggo Network plan to start testing their robots for autonomous delivery services in downtown Spain. Neubility says they have successfully reduced their high manufacturing cost issues, moving them closer to commercialization. By the end of 2022, Neubility had plans to commercialize autonomous delivery for golf courses.
13. At CES 2023, FAA’s Deputy Executive Director of the Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) office Abigal Smith spoke to the audience about drones.
Smith says they view safety as their “north star” in relation to drones. In particular, she calls out that delivering an item via drone would be safer than the risk of someone getting in their car, which could up the possibility of a car crash. Drone Express’s CEO says that the COVID-19 pandemic led to a surge in interest in the technology. Like autonomous trucking, consumers are starting to come around to drone delivery. According to McKinsey, 2,000 drone deliveries happen each day. While a 300% increase year over year, they still have a long way to go.
14. At a 6,400 square foot booth HD Hyundai, a shipbuilding and heavy-duty equipment maker, showcased new technologies around electric ships, vessel autonomy, and visibility.
This fits into HD Hyundai’s Ocean Transformation plan, which focuses on ship efficiency and sustainability. The company is looking at renewable energy sources as they work towards zero-carbon vessels by 2050. CES 2023 revealed the latest version of their ISS smart ship platform. The ISS 2.0 includes ship tracking, ship routing, and port data. The platform’s goal is to reduce ship waiting times, reducing wasted expenses. Shippers can also use the technology to predict the need for service, find the nearest port, and alert the service providers at the port so that they can prepare.
15. Last but not least, let’s talk about food waste. In particular, a company called OneThird.
The United Nations says that about ⅓ of food is wasted each year globally at an estimated cost of $1 trillion. 40% of that comes from fresh produce. OneThird unveiled a “ripeness checker” at CES this year. The checker allows grocery shoppers to quickly scan an avocado to see if it is ready to eat. OneThird works across the fresh produce supply chain at several touchpoints, including growers, distributors, and grocers, to help predict the shelf life of produce using AI. The company can currently predict the shelf life of tomatoes, strawberries, blueberries, and avocados, with plans to extend to ten types of produce by the end of 2023.
