Inside Exotec's Grand Next Gen Skypod Unveiling

Exotec, a global provider of warehouse robotics, is introducing the Next Generation of its Skypod system, a significant upgrade designed to optimise supply chain operations.

With a more compact robot, improved workstation capabilities and advanced software, the system enhances throughput by 50% and increases storage density by up to 30%.

These innovations aim to help businesses streamline logistics, reduce reliance on external equipment and improve warehouse efficiency.

Supply chain management is evolving rapidly and warehouses need flexible, high-performance automation to keep up.

Exotec’s upgraded Skypod system is built to meet these demands. Unlike traditional automated storage and retrieval systems (AS/RS) that rely on conveyors and sorting machines, Skypod integrates multiple logistics functions into one compact solution.

The system now features an integrated buffer, allowing semi-completed and completed orders to be temporarily stored within the racks instead of occupying separate staging areas. This change minimises the space required for handling outbound shipments, improving warehouse flow.

Furthermore, Skypod’s new perfect sequencing capability ensures that orders are ejected in a precise arrangement for loading onto pallets, containers or delivery trucks. This process, typically requiring external sorting equipment, is now handled entirely within the Skypod system.

By combining these capabilities with a redesigned high-throughput exchanger and an advanced robot-to-robot picking workstation, Exotec positions its system as a next-generation logistics solution that simplifies warehouse operations while improving efficiency.

Transforming supply chain operations

One of the standout features of the Next Generation Skypod system is its ability to support both each and case picking. This flexibility allows retailers and e-commerce businesses to consolidate multiple warehouse processes into a single system.

Instead of requiring separate workflows for different types of orders, the Skypod solution adapts seamlessly to multichannel operations.

Pick-and-pack functionality is now an integral part of the system, eliminating the need for additional packing stations.

Operators can pick directly into fulfilment containers, reducing manual labour and streamlining order processing. This feature works particularly well with right-size packaging solutions, helping companies reduce last-mile costs by minimising packaging waste and optimising shipment volumes.

Exotec’s innovations are already making an impact. Over the past two years, the company has quietly deployed the new Skypod system worldwide, securing over 20 projects worth a total of US$400m.

Major retailers, including Oxford Industries and French hypermarket chain E.Leclerc, have adopted the technology to enhance their supply chain efficiency.

Meeting industry demands with next-generation robotics

The development of the Next Generation Skypod system is driven by the increasing need for warehouse robotics to support a broader range of logistics processes. Companies are seeking solutions that go beyond traditional AS/RS technology to provide integrated, end-to-end automation.

Romain Moulin, CEO and Co-Founder of Exotec, highlights the system’s impact: “When designing the Next Generation Skypod, our goal was to create a solution that would set the industry standard of operational excellence and elegance for the next decade and beyond.

"We’re already seeing our customers reimagine their entire supply chain around the transformative capabilities of this innovation, from combining case and each picking operations to leveraging outbound sequencing to improve transportation costs. Witnessing this level of impact has been incredibly rewarding.”

Retailers and logistics operators that have implemented Exotec’s technology are seeing tangible improvements in their supply chain performance.

Maxence Maurice, CEO of E.Leclerc Seclin, notes: “We chose Exotec for its storage density and its operational flexibility. Robotic advancements have enabled us to set up a larger buffer area for prepared orders within the system. 

"Previously, I estimated that the customer journey, from arriving at the pick-up point to leaving with their groceries, took between 10 and 15 minutes. Today, with the Exotec solution, it takes less than five minutes.”

By reducing dependency on traditional sorting and storage equipment, enhancing warehouse flexibility and improving throughput, Exotec’s Next Generation Skypod system is set to reshape logistics operations for businesses worldwide.

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