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Ocado Technology trials humanoid robot in UK warehouse

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Engineers at online grocery pioneer Ocado Technology have successfully trialled a humanoid robot able to help workers with a range of maintenance tasks at its automated warehouse in Hatfield, Hertfordshire.  

The result of a five-year long collaborative project involving a number of European partners, the so-called ARMAR-6 robot is able to respond to natural language commands; hold and pass objects of a wide range of shapes and sizes; and even proactively step in when it judges that one of its human colleagues needs a hand.

The technology was developed through the Horizon2020 SecondHands project by a consortium including Ocado Technology, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Sapienza, University of Rome and University College London (UCL).

According to those involved, the project has led to a number of key breakthroughs in robotic perception, task planning and human-robot interaction that pave the way towards the development of intelligent humanoid robots that could ultimately be used in a range of applications.

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