RightHand Robotics Inc. is taking the piece-picking robotics world by storm in 2024 with the release of RightPick 4, their latest and most advanced piece-picking system yet. This upgraded version can handle items up to 25% larger and 50% heavier than its predecessor, RightPick 3, significantly expanding the range of products it can pick.

At MODEX 2024 in Atlanta last week, representatives from RightHand and their close integration partner Vanderlande provided insights into the new RightPick 4 and the trends they are seeing in the industry. According to David Schwebel, Head of Sales and Strategic Business Development at RightHand, this year's MODEX was likely the best-attended ever, even surpassing last year's ProMAT show.

A Shift in Customer Mindset What's particularly notable is the change in mindset Schwebel and his colleagues observed among potential customers. "We've gone past moments of inspiration and education," Schwebel said. "We're not in the engagement phase anymore." Customers have moved beyond simply being intrigued by robotics solutions - now they are ready and eager to invest.

Paul Eyre, RightHand's Director of Channel Sales, echoed this sentiment. "Customers are now expressing a level of trust in the technology. They're moving from exploration into engagement with the technology, and they really want to start adopting the technology."

This enthusiasm is driven by pent-up demand, with many customers having held back on investments over the past three years. Now, with renewed access to capital and trust that the technology is mature enough for widespread deployment, they are ready to pull the trigger on robotics implementations.

Unlocking New Possibilities with RightPick 4 So what makes RightPick 4 such a compelling offering? For starters, it significantly expands the range of items it can handle, now capable of picking products up to 3 kg (6.6 lbs) in weight. This allows it to automate piece-picking for over 70% of typical items found in omni-retail and e-commerce environments.

The system excels at efficiently picking not just traditional boxes and totes, but also polybags, apparel, and other challenging items that were previously difficult to automate. This versatility opens up new automation possibilities across sectors like fashion and apparel.

Vanderlande's Jake Heldenberg, North American Head of Solution Design for Warehousing, highlighted how collaborative innovation between RightHand and integrators like Vanderlande drove many of RightPick 4's advances. "RightHand stepped up to the plate, and you can see a lot of innovation in RightPick 4 and also in the software and vision system improvements across the board."

A Frictionless, Integrated Experience
In addition to its expanded item handling capabilities, RightPick 4 introduces improvements that create a smoother overall experience. The new camera systems allow for larger workspaces, with more open borders for robots to navigate. And Schwebel emphasized the platform's ease of installation and integration - a RightPick 4 system can purportedly be up and running just four hours after arriving on site.

RightHand has clearly optimized RightPick 4 to play well within integrated, multi-robot solutions that blend various automated technologies from different vendors. At MODEX, their booth demonstrated RightPick 4 performing seamless handoffs with other Vanderlande systems for processes like multi-pack detection and suction cup swapping.

As customers increasingly look to adopting complete, turnkey automation solutions rather than piecing together point solutions, RightHand's focus on open integration becomes a key strength. And their close collaboration with partners like Vanderlande ensures their piece-picking solutions can slot neatly into larger automated ecosystems from trusted systems integrators.

The Road Ahead Looking forward, the robotics leaders see incredible potential and pent-up demand as customers embrace automation to combat ongoing labor challenges. Vanderlande's Heldenberg noted, "Each time I run into a customer it's like, 'Hey, we're ready. We need to move.'"

With RightPick 4 pushing the boundaries of what piece-picking robots can handle, while creating smoother integrated solutions, RightHand Robotics appears poised to ride this wave of accelerating demand. As Paul Eyre summed up, "They really want to start adopting the technology.... Show me where this has been installed previously. Show me how I can employ these technologies effectively in my solution."

The exploration phase is over - it's time for widespread robotic piece-picking adoption. And fittingly, RightHand is putting the pieces in place to be a driving force in this paradigm shift.