KIVA SYSTEMS

The Intelligent Warehouse:

A Revolution in Material Handling
 This is not your typical warehouse. Here, human
operators stand still, while the products come to
them.

KIVA SYSTEMS
The Intelligent Warehouse:
A Revolution in Material Handling
Founders:
Mick Mountz, Peter Wurman, and
Raffaello D’Andrea
www.kivasystems.com
When Office Depot, an enterprise with $ 12
billion in revenue, scrutinized the market
for a flexible and efficient goods-to-person
picking solution for its new distribution
center in Newville, Pennsylvania, it arrived
at the conclusion that a system consisting
of mobile stacks that are moved by 300
robots would best serve its purposes. The
robots made it possible to reduce the order
cycle from 2 hours to 20 minutes, while the
travel time of the associates dropped from 7
miles per shift to less than half a mile.
Robust robots, powerful algorithms
Kiva uses a simple set of equipment and
powerful control software to provide
a complete order fulfillment solution.
Instead of being stored in static shelving,
flow racks or carousels, products are
stored in inventory pods in the center of
the warehouse while operators stand at
inventory stations around the perimeter.
When an order is received, robotic drive
units retrieve the right pods and bring
them to the worker, who picks out the
appropriate item and places it in the carton.
Completed orders are stored on separate
pods, ready to get up and move to the
loading dock when the truck arrives. A suite
of algorithms, sensors on the drive units
and custom control software allow the
vehicles to safely navigate the warehouse.
Coordination is aided by a hierarchical
architecture similar to what is used in air
traffic control systems. The drive units
share information about their environment
and use that knowledge to adapt. As a
result, the performance of the vehicles, and
hence the system, improves over time. In
addition, adaptation and learning ensure
that the system is robust to changes in the
environment.

Raffaello D’Andrea is a professor at the Institute for Dynamic Systems and Control at the
Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, where he and his research team turn
ideas and theory into function as they design, model and build autonomous dynamic
systems. Their work ranges from fun creation for its own sake, such as acrobatic flying
machines, to innovations with direct utility, such as automated warehouses operated by
fleets of mobile robots.

For more information please visit www.raffaello.name.