DHL Supply Chain: Introducing First Cobots to Latin America

DHL Supply Chain has announced a five-year strategic alliance with Robust.AI in a move to increase logistics automation across Latin America.

Beginning with a rollout within retail operations in Mexico, Robust.AI will be deploying its Carter collaborative robot across DHL's operations.

The partnership will focus on innovation, scalable deployment and increasing efficiency. 

A partnership for automation

DHL is a leader in global logistics, offering a significant portfolio of logistics services, including e-commerce shipping, parcel delivery and fulfilment solutions. It works to connect people and businesses around the world, establishing strong and sustainable global trade flows. Its solutions work across technology, life sciences, manufacturing, retail, engineering and more. 

Now, it has formed a five-year strategic alliance with Robust.AI, a pioneer in collaborative robotic systems. It brings together physical AI with user-centric design in order to make robots easier to use. The flagship robot, Carter, is a blend of industry-lading commercial robotics and human-robotic interaction in order to ensure it is easy to use and can be applied across the supply chain. The aim is to prioritise seamless and safe human-robot collaboration, increase productivity and drive efficiency across picking, putaway and handling. 

Through this alliance, following successful deployments across North America, DHL Supply Chain will be introducing the Carter robots throughout Latin America, with a rollout of 15 units in its retail operations in Mexico. This makes it the first collaborative robot to be deployed within the company's Latin America operations, marking a step towards greater productivity, safety and operational efficiency.

“DHL Supply Chain is committed to building the future of logistics through innovation and technology,” says Mario Rodríguez de la Gala, President of DHL Supply Chain Mexico.

“Our partnership with Robust.AI allows us to integrate flexible, collaborative robotics into our day-to-day operations, driving not only efficiency and accuracy, but also keeping our customers at the centre of all that we do. This partnership reflects both our short- and long-term vision to keep reinventing supply chains in Mexico.”

Increasing operational efficiency

The partnership marks DHL Supply Chain's strategy to implement scalable and commercially viable robotic and automation technologies which deliver measurable benefits. 

In the North American deployment, the Carter robots improved productivity in DHL Supply Chain's operations by more than 60%, as well as demonstrated enhanced safety and operational efficiency. 

The improvement to productivity has already reached 30% in Mexico, demonstrating the ability of these robots to improve operational efficiency across the company. It is suspected to demonstrate DHL's readiness to create tangible value for DHL customers, employees and the business, with a plan to integrate the robots throughout DHL's Warehouse Management System (WMS) by 2026, using a phased rollout for flexible scaling. 

Anthony Jules, Co-Founder and CEO of Robust.AI, adds: “Deploying Carter across multiple DHL facilities, joining a global workforce, and showing value in spaces with varying levels of tech integration, is an important and exciting milestone in our expanding partnership with DHL.

"Choosing flexible, human-centered, safe automation with a lower barrier to entry is a faster path to ROI - but it also shows your teams you’re putting them first.”

Flexibility and scalability

The Carter robots are designed to integrate with human employees, including motor-assisted movement to improve ergonomics and reduce physical strain. This will then scale up to include autonomous navigation and integration across DHL's WMS.

Carter allows for intelligent, autonomous goods movements within facilities, with point-to-point operations. As a result, DHL can tailor the deployments of Carter across its operations, depending on the technological-readiness of each site, as well as the flexibility to relocate the models to where they are most needed at any given time. 

The partnership demonstrates DHL's commitment to levering scalable and efficient automation, as well as adapting its operational processes to the needs of each market and site.