I have been sharing interesting news and background stories I have come across for almost thirteen years through @LogisticsMatter on Twitter. In this weekly overview, I will share the stories on start-ups and innovations in supply chain and logistics that jumped out at me in the past week.
Drones
Will drones be humming all around us like wasps when we are outside when drone delivery has become mainstream? Many companies believe in the power of drone delivery and are testing drone delivery concepts. These concepts are aimed at delivering items to consumers but also delivering medical supplies to remote locations.
Drone delivery project will deliver medical isotopes
McMaster is partnering with Halton Healthcare, Drone Delivery Canada (DDC), Air Canada Cargo and DSV Canada to develop a drone delivery system that will revolutionize how medical goods — including medical isotopes made at McMaster — reach hospitals and patients…
DroneDek integrates smart mailbox with A2Z Drone Delivery system
DroneDek’s “mailbox of the future” is a high-tech delivery receptacle featuring a drone charging station, a heated and cooled storage compartment, a full-fledged security system and a laundry list of other features…
Safety and privacy concerns are among the chief factors that have kept drone delivery largely grounded. Federal Aviation Administration regulations are particular about when, where, how high and how long drones can fly. That’s created hurdles for companies looking to enter the space.
DroneDek integrates smart mailbox with A2Z Drone Delivery system
Drone delivery leader Wing heads to new country for next pilot program
The drone delivery specialist is already running pilots in Brisbane and Canberra in Australia, Helsinki in Finland, and several locations in the U.S., and in the coming weeks it will launch a “small-scale” effort in Lusk, 10 miles north of Dublin…
Keen for a smooth launch in Lusk, Nagle said Wing has been having preliminary talks with local leaders about its proposed pilot program. In further efforts to show that it’s listening, it’s also inviting residents of the town to a community meeting next week where they can ask questions about Wing’s plans and see the drones up close before they launch into the skies.
Drone delivery leader Wing heads to new country for next pilot program
Innovations in Transportation
The main stories this week are on Tesla and on self-driving vehicles.
Elon Musk’s frisky earnings call touched on the Cybertruck, Twitter, and the future of Tesla
Unveiled during Battery Day in 2020, Tesla’s 4680 cells are expected to be a game-changer for the company’s next generation of vehicles. Since the 4680 cells are expected to provide substantial cost savings and a notable boost in power to Tesla’s vehicles, expectations were high that the batteries would be used in vehicles like the Tesla Semi and the Cybertruck.
Elon Musk’s frisky earnings call touched on the Cybertruck, Twitter, and the future of Tesla
Tesla is now taking votes for its next Supercharger locations
Tesla owns and operates one of the largest EV charging networks in the world, consisting of 4,283 Supercharging stations and 38,883 connectors in total, according to its Q3 2022 earnings report this week. The chargers are only available to Tesla owners, though it has started to accept EVs from other companies in Europe. And Tesla is planning to do the same in the US, but it might need to alter some of the stations to work with the North American CCS1 connector standard.
Tesla is now taking votes for its next Supercharger locations
Tesla plans to build 50,000 Class 8 Semi trucks in Nevada
Tesla announced the launch of the Semi in 2017 and said the Class 8 truck would go into production by 2019. However, the program suffered repeated delays, including supply chain issues and the departure of a key executive.
PepsiCo subsidiary Frito-Lay is in line to receive the first trucks. Tesla has already installed a Mega Charger on Frito-Lay’s distribution site in Modesto, California.
During the earnings call, Musk said he expects to be on hand for the first Semi truck deliveries.
“This is a max load heavy truck, with no sacrifice to cargo capacity and 500-mile range with cargo,” Musk said.
11 More Crash Deaths Are Linked to Automated-Tech Vehicles
The new fatal crashes are documented in a database that NHTSA is building in an effort to broadly assess the safety of automated driving systems, which, led by Tesla, have been growing in use…
Tesla’s crash number may appear elevated because it uses telematics to monitor its vehicles and obtain real-time crash reports. Other automakers lack such capability, so their crash reports may emerge more slowly or may not be reported at all, NHTSA has said.
Flying car by California startup Alef attracts early Tesla investor
The unusual appearance – which features a body that flips on its side to become the wing after lift-off – is just one aspect that attracted Tim Draper, an early investor in Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc (TSLA.O) and SpaceX whose Draper Associates Fund V has backed Alef with $3 million in seed money.
Flying car by California startup Alef attracts early Tesla investor
Robots
More than half a million robots installed in 2021. Those are huge numbers. I’m seeing more and more logistics service providers using robots to make their operations more efficient.
IFR: Industrial robots and cobots installs hit “all time high” globally last year
The new World Robotics report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) shows an all-time high of 517,385 new industrial robots installed in 2021 in factories around the world, IFR announced today. IFR explained this represents a growth rate of 31% year-on-year and exceeds the pre-pandemic record of robot installation in 2018 by 22%.
IFR: Industrial robots and cobots installs hit “all time high” globally last year
Ambi Robotics secures $32M infusion to deploy its item-sorting robots in warehouses
The company claims its products, which include robotic arms and the software to run them, can be “taught” to pick and pack millions of unique items while adapting to different packaging (e.g. boxes and envelopes) on the fly.
Using “end effectors” like suction cups, Ambi machines pick, scan, insert, place and pack items arranged in mail sacks on fulfillment center floors in tandem with workers. Software running in the background analyzes data on productivity, item dimensions and weights, utilization and more and identifies “pick points” on items in cluttered environments like conveyor belts, totes and bins.
Ambi Robotics secures $32M infusion to deploy its item-sorting robots in warehouses
Start-ups
A lot is happening in the quick commerce and on-demand industry. Getyr has made a bid to take over competitor Gorillas, and Deliveroo and GoPuff are scaling down. At the same a report has come about the mental health of platform workers. If you want to learn more about on-demand delivery and quick commerce, check out the Does Logistics Matter? Podcast episode on this subject.
Deliveroo confirms Dutch exit next month
“The decision to end operations in the Netherlands reflects the company’s disciplined focus on continuing to maximise returns on investment of resources while meeting existing profitability targets against a challenging economic backdrop,” it said, making a reference to the downturn that’s been driving losses for on-demand delivery players.
Delivery company Gopuff continues layoffs, outsourcing
The 30-minute delivery company last week cut just under 250 workers, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg on Wednesday. According to Gopuff, the layoffs affect the firm’s customer service team and include a mix of full-time and temporary employees.
The cuts are part of an internal restructuring by Gopuff, announced in July. The company had intended to eliminate the roles months ago, but the process was delayed for legal and operational reasons.
Study: Mental Health of Platform Workers Under Pressure
Around 3620 employees of platforms like Uber, Gorillas and Takeway.com were interviewed. The outcome was the mental health of people who do so-called platform work is worse than that of people in other professions. Platform workers are more often exhausted and less enthusiastic about their work.
Photo by Marija Zaric on Unsplash
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- Source: https://logisticsmatter.com/start-ups-and-innovations-in-supply-chain-and-logistics-october-21-2022/
