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Brightpick’s new warehouse robot can reach 20-foot-high shelves

Published

4 hours ago

February 5, 2025

Brightpick’s new warehouse robot can reach 20-foot-high shelves

Brightpick, a manufacturer of autonomous mobile robots, has unveiled a new addition to its product line – the Giraffe system. This innovative system features a retractable platform that can reach heights of up to 20 feet, allowing it to efficiently pick items from warehouse shelves that are out of reach for standard robots and human workers.

The Giraffe system uses a telescoping arm with three segments that measure 8.5 feet when fully stowed. By working in conjunction with Brightpick’s Autopicker robot, which has two supply bins and extends up to 11 feet, the Giraffe system is able to achieve its impressive height capabilities.

Compared to other warehouse robots like Dexory’s telescoping robots, the Giraffe stands out for its ability to actually transfer items from shelves, rather than just scanning them. Additionally, drone-based scanning startups are not direct competitors to the Giraffe system, as drones lack the capability to lift and move heavy payloads.

In the realm of warehouse automation, companies like AutoStore and Kardex offer automated storage and retrieval systems that are costly and less flexible. Brightpick’s solution, on the other hand, utilizes AMRs to efficiently retrieve inventory from traditional warehouse shelves.

BionicHive’s Squid systems, which operate on shelf-mounted tracks, provide another alternative for inventory retrieval. Notably, Amazon has invested in BionicHive, reflecting the growing interest in robotics solutions for warehouse operations.

Brightpick’s Giraffe system is set to be implemented by two major customers in 2025. The Feed, an e-commerce retailer, will utilize six Giraffes and 73 Autopickers in Colorado, while medical supply firm McGuff Company will deploy four Giraffes and twelve Autopickers in California. Brightpick touts the Giraffe/Autopicker combo for significantly increasing warehouse density compared to manual operations.

As the warehouse and logistics industry continues to embrace automation, there is a wide range of solutions available to meet different needs and preferences.