Tompkins Announces February Open Days

Logistics company Tompkins is opening its Emerging Technology Center (ETC) on Hazeltine National Drive, Orlando, Florida on 20 and 21 February, where visitors can learn about the latest technology available to enhance, build and complete an advanced,  smart and efficient supply chain. Tompkins will also stage live demonstrations of the latest in robotics, The Connected Warehouse.

Tompkins Robotics has joined forces with Lab Z to introduce an innovative material handling sortation system, named t-Sort. t-Sort technology uses free-moving, independent robots to replace conveyors, sorters, and tilt trays. It provides efficiency moving along a direct path, better space utilization, modular capabilities with the ability to add and reduce robots at any time giving great flexibility, fast startups from only six to eight months, and a higher ROI due to low investment cost, lower headcount, and reduction in required space. t-Sort can be used in small, medium, and large fulfillment centers, supplementing exiting sites and backrooms.

Also, partner RightHand Robotics, a leading piece-picking provider, will be a part of the live demonstration. RightHand Robotics proprietary solution, RightPick, combines vision and machine-learning software with smart grippers that enable the robots to handle thousands of items, gathering data from each pick to improve performance.

This makes the robots uniquely capable of performing induction onto t-Sort. A picking robot will be positioned at the induction station. As t-Sort pulls up to the induction station, the RightHand robot will pick a unit from a bin and place it onto the tray of t-Sort. Significant advancements in vision technology by RightHand have now made robotic piece-picking commercially viable. 

The Connected Warehouse is powered by SensorThink. SensorThink is the first digital platform built for the demands of the warehouse. Every piece of digital information generated in the warehouse can be collected, processed, archived, and analyzed, allowing one to manage material handling automation, security, HVAC, lighting, lift trucks, and maintenance systems in a way never before possible. SensorThink’s cloud machine learning and cross platform analytics engine allows you to view and analyze this information within the building or across the distribution network. For the first time, SensorThink ties all of the elements of production, performance, and execution into one platform.