Robots Pack Your Groceries in This Automated Warehouse
▼ Summary
– Ocado’s automated warehouse in Luton operates with minimal human presence, featuring a fleet of robots on “the Grid” to efficiently move and manage groceries for online orders.
– The company’s new On-Grid Robotic Pick (OGRP) arms use suction cups and AI to pack groceries, handling 30 million orders in 2024 and aiming for 80% automation in 2-3 years.
– Some items, like watermelons or wine bottles, remain challenging to automate due to weight or fragility, though Ocado is developing specialized tools for high-volume products like wine.
– Ocado continues to expand automation across its warehouses, targeting repetitive or grueling tasks (e.g., frozen food packing) while distancing itself from layoffs by selling tech to clients like Kroger.
– Future advancements focus on lighter, more efficient robots and AI-driven problem-solving to handle edge cases, though human oversight remains critical for unresolved issues.
The first thing that strikes you is the silence. Unlike traditional warehouses filled with the clatter of machinery and voices, this space hums quietly with the sound of electronics. It’s an industrial setting where robots far outnumber humans, a glimpse into the future of grocery fulfillment.
This is Ocado’s automated warehouse in Luton, just outside London. While the name might not ring a bell, chances are its technology has played a role in delivering your groceries. Ocado powers online orders for major retailers like Kroger in the US, Sobeys in Canada, and Morrisons in the UK, along with partners across Europe and Asia.
Grocery margins are razor-thin, and online orders squeeze them further with added costs for picking, packing, and shipping. Since its launch in 2000, Ocado has bet on automation to streamline these processes. The centerpiece of its operation is the Grid, a vast network of tracks where hundreds of boxy robots glide seamlessly, directed by a central computer to avoid collisions. These machines ferry trays of bread, canned goods, and ready meals with precision, requiring minimal human oversight.
The Grid isn’t new, it’s been around since at least 2018. What’s changed is the addition of robotic arms, a significant upgrade that’s transforming how orders are packed. Until recently, the cube-shaped bots only moved crates, leaving the actual packing to human workers. Employees stood at stations where items arrived just in time, guided by displays that optimized their movements for speed. Now, On-Grid Robotic Pick (OGRP) arms are taking over much of that work.
Perched above the Grid, these stationary robots use suction cups to lift and pack groceries into shopping bags. Each arm can handle over a third of Ocado’s product range, with cameras aiding in item selection. While they can’t spot damaged goods like bruised fruit, their efficiency is undeniable. In 2024 alone, OGRP arms packed 30 million orders, and Ocado plans to expand their numbers to nearly 500 by year’s end.
The goal isn’t full automation, some items just aren’t worth the effort. Heavy products like watermelons or fragile wine bottles still require human hands. But the robots are learning. Eight years ago, a bag of oranges stumped early prototypes. Today, AI-driven models have figured out how to grip the label and lift the entire bag, a skill they taught themselves through trial and error.
Ocado is pushing automation even further. Workers still unpack shipments and load crates, but new robotic solutions are in development for these tasks. Even the job of loading delivery vans could soon fall to mobile robots. The one area where humans remain indispensable is last-mile delivery. While Ocado invests in autonomous driving startups, its deputy CEO, James Matthews, doesn’t foresee driverless deliveries anytime soon.
Automation makes sense for Ocado because its processes are already highly repetitive. The more streamlined the workflow, the easier it is to design robots to take over. Some roles, like packing frozen goods, are particularly tough to staff, making them prime candidates for automation.
Yet Ocado itself isn’t cutting jobs. As a technology provider rather than an operator, it leaves staffing decisions to its clients. The company is growing, opening new sites and expanding its R&D efforts.
Looking ahead, efficiency is the driving force. Lighter, 3D-printed robots are in the works, reducing energy use and allowing for more compact warehouse designs. But the real breakthroughs will come from smarter AI, capable of handling edge cases, like a jammed crate, without human intervention.
As Matthews puts it, solving 90% of problems isn’t enough. The remaining 10% often requires costly fixes, making full automation a tougher target. For now, humans still have a role, but the gap is narrowing fast.
(Source: The Verge)
