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China's Geek+ robots expand UK warehouse automation for retailers
Geek+ says its autonomous mobile robots can be deployed using QR code markers and safety fencing, and MotionTech has placed more than 2,000 robots across 10 UK warehouse sites.
Britain’s retailers are increasingly using autonomous warehouse robots from China, as weak productivity growth and labor shortages push companies to automate repetitive picking and storage tasks. The BBC describes robots that move through warehouses, lifting shelves and carrying goods from storage racks to workers to speed order processing.
The technology used by Geek+ is designed to be more flexible than fixed conveyor-based automation. Instead of permanent infrastructure, the robots can be deployed with QR code floor markers and safety fencing, enabling retailers to expand automated capacity without major site overhauls, the BBC reports.
Several major UK retailers, including Tesco, Asda and Next, have adopted the system, according to the BBC. Geek+ says automation can raise picking speeds, expand storage in harder to access areas, and reduce picking errors.
The BBC also links the adoption trend to broader UK productivity concerns, citing an OECD report arguing that robotics are key to improving productivity and that the UK lags peers in automation uptake. It adds that Geek+ listed in Hong Kong last year, and that MotionTech has deployed more than 2,000 robots across 10 warehouse sites in the UK.