Ambi Robotics Signs $23M Deployment Expansion With Pitney Bowes
March 9, 2022
Global shipping and mailing company Pitney Bowes and Ambi Robotics have announced a $23 million deployment expansion of AmbiSort systems for Pitney Bowes e-commerce hubs across the U.S. The AI-powered robot systems will help Pitney Bowes speed its parcel sortation to last-mile delivery providers, while also improving productivity, accuracy and worker safety.
Pitney Bowes said the company’s shipping and e-commerce business has surpassed 50% of its total revenue. In addition, parcel volume has exceeded 131 billion annually globally, more than a 37% year-over-year growth in the U.S. alone (revealed in the latest Pitney Bowes Parcel Shipping Index). The company said the new investment will be made as robots-as-a-service (RaaS) fees over the next four years.
The expansion follows a successful deployment at Pitney Bowes’ e-commerce hub in Stockton, Calif., where the company used AmbiSort systems to successfully sort parcels during the 2021 peak holiday season, nearly doubling the throughput for parcel sortation to local direct delivery units.
“As we continue to scale our global e-commerce business, Pitney Bowes is working with some of the most innovative companies in the industry to configure new solutions that improve our service offerings and make B2C e-commerce logistics easier for our clients,” said Gregg Zegras, executive vice president and president of global e-commerce at Pitney Bowes. “The deployment of AmbiSort AI-powered systems is part of our long-term plan to further enhance our technologically efficient, employee and client-friendly e-commerce logistics network.”
Ambi Robotics utilizes AmbiOS, an advanced AI operating system that leverages simulation-to-reality (Sim2Real) technology. The AmbiSort solutions integrate into existing operations and can operate on day one, creating flexible systems that scale with demand, Ambi said.
Previously, package handlers would need to pick, pack and place items in a manual vertical put wall. WIth AmbiSort, Pitney Bowes robot operators work alongside three to four automated horizontal put walls with the same amount of mail sacks. This increases each associate’s productivity and output up to four times versus manual processes, with greater sack density to the last mile.
“Every decision we make at Ambi Robotics centers around the value we bring to our customers and how to uplift their employees,” said Jim Liefer, CEO of Ambi Robotics. “Our partnership with Pitney Bowes is symbiotic – the company courageously embraces innovation and technology. There is a reason Pitney Bowes is a 100-year strong company>”
Since the initial deployment, the companies have made improvements to AmbiSort, including all-new robotic hardware components and advanced AI software that increases throughput per square foot. Additional outbound placement locations have increased sorting capacity, and the system’s horizontal putwall increases sack density to the last mile. In addition, a new handoff region between the highly dexterous piece-picking robot cell and the gantry system allows the robot to singulate and grasp a parcel while simultaneously placing another parcel in the appropriate last-mile mail sack.
For more details on Ambi Robotics and its offerings, visit its website here.
