【Retail AMR × Advanced FMS】FUJI and Industry Alpha Collaborate to Conduct Demonstration Experiment Aiming to Advance Automation in the Retail Industry

Realizing Smart Stores through Swarm Control of AMRs

Industry Alpha Inc., which develops smart factory and warehouse solutions (Headquarters: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Takumi Watanabe; hereinafter “Industry Alpha”), is collaborating with FUJI Corporation, a major industrial equipment manufacturer (Headquarters: Chiryū City, Aichi Prefecture; President: Joji Isogai; hereinafter “FUJI”). Industry Alpha will provide its fleet management system (FMS) to control FUJI’s autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), conducting a joint demonstration experiment aimed at advancing automation in the retail industry.

Background of the Demonstration Experiment

Due to declining birth rates and a shrinking labor force, the retail industry faces an urgent need for automation. Compared to manufacturing and logistics sectors, retail automation is more challenging because of the large number of stores, the complexity of tasks, and the flexibility required.

One major burden in store operations is the product restocking process. Every morning, workers must sort products delivered from logistics centers, transport them to the appropriate shelves, and stock the shelves—a labor-intensive series of tasks.

To address these challenges, FUJI, a long-established industrial equipment manufacturer, and Industry Alpha, a company gaining attention for its advanced autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) developed for factories and warehouses, are collaborating. They will implement an AMR system tailored for retail stores and conduct a demonstration experiment aimed at realizing smart retail stores. Specifically, the robots will sort carts loaded with products and transport them to the front of display shelves overnight. As a result, morning tasks requiring human labor will be reduced to simply stocking products from carts that have already been brought close to the target shelves, thereby automating the labor-intensive restocking process.

Scheme of the Demonstration Experiment

In this demonstration experiment, FUJI is responsible for developing and implementing the AMR main units, while Industry Alpha is developing and implementing the higher-level system, the FMS.

Features of FUJI’s AMR

• Capable of transporting existing carts used by retail stores
• By simply attaching a tag to the cart, the AMR can automatically recognize and approach the cart even in complete darkness
• The AMR automatically recognizes the category of the cart (e.g., beverages, cans, etc.)
• Based on the recognition results, it transports the cart to the corresponding area by category (e.g., beverage carts to the beverage shelves)

With these features, the AMR can automatically recognize and approach carts prepared in the backyards or other areas inside the store after closing, determine their destinations, and transport them automatically to the appropriate display shelves.

In actual operation, multiple AMRs may be used simultaneously. Therefore, Industry Alpha’s FMS, which has expertise and a track record in controlling multiple AMRs, will be utilized to verify the efficiency of in-store logistics by controlling multiple AMRs through this demonstration experiment.

Features of Industry Alpha’s FMS

• Can connect not only to in-house AMRs but also to AMRs and AGVs from other manufacturers
• Allows flexible addition and modification of functions without using OSS or other open-source software
• Can integrate with various peripheral devices such as elevators and robotic arms, regardless of manufacturer

FMS is a system that performs higher-level control of AMRs. Industry Alpha originally developed and introduced its own AMRs for manufacturing and logistics industries, such as Kaghelo. Through practical use and evaluation of various FMS solutions—including open-source software (OSS)—Industry Alpha recognized the need for a system that fully ensures both practicality and extensibility. Consequently, Industry Alpha designed and developed a new FMS from scratch, conducting proprietary development with participation from major Japanese software development companies in some parts of the development process.

Industry Alpha’s FMS features a system architecture capable of integrating with various devices, enabling unified control of both its own AMRs and overseas-made AGVs. It also supports PLC integration and elevator coordination without requiring construction work. The system flexibly implements functions such as dispatch control and route generation. For this demonstration experiment, we are confident that the FMS will deliver value by enabling smooth AMR operation even in new environments for Industry Alpha, such as retail stores. By extracting needs specific to each site and allowing on-site management and operation, the distinctive strengths of Industry Alpha’s FMS will be fully demonstrated in this trial.

Future Plans

Currently, under FUJI’s leadership, demonstration experiments are being conducted at actual retail stores. We intend to identify issues through these trials and use them as valuable feedback for future development. The next phase includes considering demonstrations in stores with narrower aisles and integration with peripheral devices such as elevators.

Industry Alpha will continue to leverage its FMS, which can connect with various robots, aiming to drive automation not only in manufacturing, logistics, and retail but across diverse industries and workplaces.

<Video/Image of Kaghelo’s elevator integration>

AICHI INNOVATION DAY 2024

FUJI and Industry Alpha will jointly present their open innovation initiatives and future directions at AICHI INNOVATION DAY 2024.

Reference URL: https://stationai.co.jp/annd-program#day1p1515d

About FUJI Corporation

FUJI Corporation is a global company that develops, manufactures, and sells electronic component mounting robots and machine tools. Since its founding in 1959, FUJI has continued to deepen its robotics and automation technologies, driving innovation with an eye on the future, aiming for sustainable growth as a robot company. FUJI contributes to society by creating new value through delivering products and services that surprise and inspire, in fields where robotics are expected such as manufacturing, nursing care, and logistics, with the mission of enriching people’s lives and realizing a sustainable society filled with smiles.

Company Overview

Headquarters: 19 Yama-cho Chasuyama, Chiryu City, Aichi Prefecture, Japan
Representative: President & CEO Joji Isogai
Founded: April 1959
Phone: +81-566-81-2111 (main)
Capital: 5,878 million JPY (as of end of March 2023)
Main Products: Electronic component mounting robots, machine tools
Website: https://www.fuji.co.jp/