Vanderlande partners with Fizyr for AI robotics software

Vanderlande has signed a strategic partnership with Fizyr to develop artificial intelligence (AI) technology for its automated order picking, storage, unloading and palletizing robotic solutions.

The results will be integrated into Vanderlande’s existing product portfolio, such as Smart Item Robotics (SIR), which has been designed to handle the large variety of items common to the warehouse, parcel and airports markets.

Fizyr is a Delft-based company from Delft University that researches and develops “deep-learning” computer vision software that enables robots to process a broad selection of items. Extended flexibility and improved handling capabilities allow companies to maximize their operational efficiency. For Vanderlande, the partnership will help to improve its existing robotics solutions like SIR as it develops and introduces new robotics solutions within its markets.

“The use of robotics in the logistics industry is extremely complex due to the variety of goods being handled in terms of the shape, size, color and material,” explains Fizyr’s CEO Herbert ten Have. “By applying deep-learning technology software, we can identify the best grasp locations for a robot, allowing it to cope with a high level of variation.”

Vanderlande’s CTO Vincent Kwaks is excited about the future of this dynamic sector. “Deep learning is changing our landscape over the last years and multiple applications will benefit from these techniques,” he said. “That’s why we’re delighted to be partnering with Fizyr to explore the potential for our robotics solutions and maybe other automation domains.”