TOKYO - Japanese retail giant Aeon unveiled a logistics warehouse on October 30 equipped with "physical AI" robots capable of independently sorting and stacking products, allowing the company to automate approximately half of its warehouse operations while increasing loading efficiency to four times that of manual labor.
The new system uses robots equipped with artificial intelligence that can recognize the contents and weight of individual packages, calculate the most efficient stacking arrangements, and physically handle goods without requiring constant human intervention.
For supermarket operators handling a wide variety of products, loading and stacking have traditionally been among the most difficult warehouse tasks to automate. Packages differ in size, weight, and contents, requiring workers to determine the appropriate loading sequence and maintain a stable balance to prevent goods from collapsing or being damaged.
Aeon's newly introduced physical AI technology addresses these challenges by analyzing the characteristics of each package and determining how to stack goods safely and efficiently.
The robots can handle approximately 480 packages per hour, around four times the number processed through manual loading operations.
Unlike conventional warehouse automation systems that rely primarily on predetermined movements and standardized products, physical AI allows robots to interpret their surroundings, make decisions, and adjust their physical movements according to the objects they handle.
Aeon said the technology has already enabled it to automate approximately 50% of the work previously carried out at the warehouse, marking a significant step toward reducing reliance on manual labor in its distribution network.
The company plans to expand automation across its logistics facilities nationwide, targeting the automation of 80% of warehouse operations by around 2030.
The initiative represents a major investment in AI-driven logistics as Aeon seeks to improve productivity and streamline the handling of products distributed to its supermarket network.
Source: TBS
