At ProMat, Locus Robotics, renowned for its goods-to-person automation, introduced a sneak peek of its latest innovation: Locus Array. This new system, designed to optimize high-density storage and throughput, leverages artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics to enhance warehouse operations.
“We’ve been working on this for the past several years,” said Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Our zero-touch fulfillment automates induction, and double-deep storage covers 100% of SKUs.”
The Wilmington, Massachusetts-based company has developed an advanced magazine tower that can efficiently retrieve multiple orders from shelves and place them into bins or cartons, which can be further subdivided for enhanced efficiency. This marks a significant step forward in automating the supply chain process.
Locus Array combines autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with a tower and a custom-built, vision-guided picking arm. The AMRs, featuring omnidirectional wheels from Locus’s acquisition of Waypoint Robotics’ Vector, allow for tight maneuvers in narrow aisles. This enables the robots to retrieve items from conveyors or flow racks, picking most of an order before passing the task off to other robots for completion.
“It can pull from a conveyor or flow rack, pick most of an order, and then hand off items to be picked with Origin or Vector,” said Mike Johnson, president of Locus Robotics. “The robot can pick to three different tote sizes for maximum density with 99.9% accuracy.”
The robotic picking arm uses suction cup end effectors and can operate in aisles as narrow as a few feet, retrieving items from both sides. Additionally, the system’s ability to handle racks up to 10 feet (3 meters) high adds a third dimension to Locus’s robotic picking system, similar to an automated storage and retrieval system (ASRS).
Locus Array is designed to tackle the industry’s most significant challenges: labor shortages and throughput inefficiencies. Faulk explained, “Healthcare, industrial, retail, and e-commerce all have the same problems with throughput and labor shortages. We can now automate everything from induction and putaway to decant for packout. It can eliminate 90% of labor, and our goal is to empty the parking lots of all the warehouses around the world.”
With over 4 billion picks assisted, Locus Robotics is already a proven leader in automation. Their existing goods-to-person (G2P) picking system, LocusOne, uses AI to sequence picking workflows for maximum efficiency. The addition of Locus Array marks a new evolution in robotic picking: “We’re creating a new category of robot-to-goods, or R2G, picking,” said Kait Peterson, vice president of product marketing at Locus.
Locus Array is designed for easy integration with existing warehouse operations. Faulk highlighted that the system could be deployed quickly, “By reducing cost per pick, we can deliver a fast ROI. Our engineers have worked on this since September, and the system can be integrated and scaled within weeks, not months.”
The system operates 24/7, meeting the growing demands of fulfillment with the flexibility and scalability needed to adapt to changing needs. Locus Robotics is confident that Array will play a key role in optimizing warehouse operations and helping businesses achieve faster and more efficient fulfillment.
The Locus Array system will be available for ordering later this year, with shipments expected to begin in early 2026. This breakthrough technology is expected to further solidify Locus Robotics’ position as a leader in the automation space, transforming how warehouses operate and redefining efficiency in the logistics industry.
By Impact Lab
