Meet the robot that wants to replace fork lift truck drivers
Forklift drivers have so far been lucky to escape the clutches of automation, but now that could be about to change
Key takeaways
- Robot pickers can now pick goods as fast, and as accurately as their human counterparts, and robots can now autonomously navigate their way around - just another wheel turn on the road to full warehouse domination.
- The Freight 1500, and its smaller cousin the Freight 500, are the latest in a line of warehouse robot workers from the guys and gals at Fetch Robotics.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2017) 'Meet the robot that wants to replace fork lift truck drivers', 311 Institute, 15 April. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/meet-the-robot-that-wants-to-replace-fork-lift-truck-drivers/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
It seems to be all go in the world of warehouses. Robot pickers can now pick goods as fast, and as accurately as their human counterparts, and robots can now autonomously navigate their way around - just another wheel turn on the road to full warehouse domination. But let’s face it, warehouses are used to store lots of heavy things, like crates of beer, and anvils, and that’s nothing to say about the heavy pallets and racks that pepper every square foot, and all of this, of course, is great news – especially if you’re a fork lift operator or a trolley driver. But now there’s yet another new mighty robot operator in town and it can shift up to 1,500kg of goods and equipment all day, every day. Non stop, well, almost... it still needs the occasional one hour power nap.
The Freight 1500, and its smaller cousin the Freight 500, are the latest in a line of warehouse robot workers from the guys and gals at Fetch Robotics. Led by CEO Melonee Wise the company has been working on developing affordable warehouse robots for years now, and both of its new robots are much bigger versions of a smaller, rolling robot called Freight, which was designed to follow warehouse workers around as they picked products from shelves.
The Freight 500 and 1500’s design and specs make it the ideal candidate to replace the trolleys and forklifts used in almost all of today’s modern warehouses, which isn’t a surprise – they were designed that way, and once loaded, the duo can navigate their way around and avoid hazards using a combination of Lidar and stereo cameras. And as for that power nap? Well, they’ll run for up to nine hours on a single charge and recharge themselves in under an hour. Even robots need sleep – slackers.
The robots join similar devices on the market made by the likes of Clearpath Robotics, and for now at least it looks like warehouse workers at the majority of companies, such as Amazon and Ocado will continue to coexist with their robot overlords. But as robots gain new skills, such as the one I unveiled earlier this week from RightHand Robotics that can pick a wide assortment of random products from warehouse bins as fast as its human co-workers it looks increasingly like warehouse workers could be nearing the end of their shelf life.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Forklift drivers have so far been lucky to escape the clutches of automation, but now that could be about to change
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
Read full bio
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
What future do you need to see?
Choose one to get started on robotics and the future of your organisation.
Sources and further reading
- Clearpath Robotics clearpathrobotics.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 15 April 2017. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2017). Meet the robot that wants to replace fork lift truck drivers. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/meet-the-robot-that-wants-to-replace-fork-lift-truck-drivers/
You are welcome to quote this article with credit and a link to the original.