機(jī)器人在電商倉(cāng)庫(kù)占據(jù)一席之地

For a vision of the warehouses of the future, take a look inside Ocado’s facility near Andover, in the south of England. Hundreds of cuboid units with flashing lights and antennas scuttle across a vast grid, accelerating and slowing down with a mechanical grace that prevents collision.

想了解未來(lái)倉(cāng)庫(kù)的樣子嗎?看一下Ocado在英格蘭南部安多弗(Andover)附近的倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)中心就一目了然了。數(shù)百個(gè)燈光不斷閃爍、并帶有天線的長(zhǎng)方體盒子在一大片網(wǎng)格之間來(lái)回穿梭，以機(jī)械的精確平穩(wěn)地加速和減速，防止發(fā)生碰撞。

Although the scene resembles a secret industrial installation in a science fiction film, these robots are carrying out the mundane task of selecting groceries.

雖然這個(gè)場(chǎng)景與科幻電影中的秘密工業(yè)基地極為相似，但這些機(jī)器人正在執(zhí)行的卻是挑選食品雜貨的平常任務(wù)。

The online supermarket’s state-of-the-art facility is at the forefront of the technological changes taking place in the warehousing sector, which acts as the processing core of the transport and logistics industry that ensures the smooth flow of goods throughout the economy.

這家在線超市的先進(jìn)倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)中心處在倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)行業(yè)正在發(fā)生的技術(shù)變革的最前沿。倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)行業(yè)是運(yùn)輸和物流行業(yè)的處理中心，是貨物在整個(gè)經(jīng)濟(jì)體系中順暢流動(dòng)的保證。

As ecommerce booms and consumers expect faster and cheaper delivery, large storage and distribution centres that once relied largely on human labour are being transformed by automation and robotics. The trend has sparked fears that such jobs could eventually vanish.

隨著電子商務(wù)蓬勃發(fā)展，消費(fèi)者期望享受到更快捷、更便宜的送貨服務(wù)，自動(dòng)化技術(shù)和機(jī)器人正在徹底改變?cè)?jīng)主要依靠人力的大型倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)和配送中心。這一趨勢(shì)引發(fā)人們擔(dān)心，這些工作崗位最終會(huì)消失。

“Automation has been around for a while, but the intelligence of the automation and its collaborative nature are the two fundamental things that are changing,” says Tim Lawrence of PA Consulting.

博安咨詢(PA Consulting)的蒂姆•勞倫斯(Tim Lawrence)指出：“自動(dòng)化已經(jīng)出現(xiàn)了一段時(shí)間，但正在發(fā)生的兩個(gè)根本性變革是自動(dòng)化的智能化及其協(xié)作性。”

Advances in artificial intelligence, sensors, vision systems and big data, coupled with falling costs, are leading companies around the globe to invest hundreds of millions of dollars in equipment to make the movement of goods quicker, as well as more accurate and efficient.

人工智能、傳感器、視覺(jué)系統(tǒng)和大數(shù)據(jù)領(lǐng)域的技術(shù)進(jìn)步，以及成本下降，正促使全球領(lǐng)先公司投資數(shù)億美元，配備能更快、更準(zhǔn)確、更高效地移動(dòng)貨物的設(shè)備。

New technologies range from fixed systems of interconnected conveyor belts and chutes that run for miles and sort dozens of postal packages every second, through to articulated robotic arms capable of packing goods such as confectionery or toiletries into boxes.

新技術(shù)包括每秒鐘可以分揀數(shù)十個(gè)郵包、相互連接、達(dá)數(shù)公里長(zhǎng)的傳送帶和滑槽等固定系統(tǒng)，以及能夠?qū)⒅T如糖果或洗漱用品等物品包裝起來(lái)的多關(guān)節(jié)機(jī)械臂。

At one end of the spectrum is the UPS hub in Cologne. Automated sorters process 190,000 packages per hour on a conveyor system covering 40km, with one item taking an average of 15 minutes to move through the hub from entry to final loading point.

另外一個(gè)場(chǎng)景是聯(lián)合包裹(UPS)位于德國(guó)科隆的物流中心。自動(dòng)分揀機(jī)可以在一條長(zhǎng)達(dá)40公里的傳送帶上每小時(shí)分揀19萬(wàn)件包裹。每個(gè)包裹從中心入口至最終裝載點(diǎn)的時(shí)間平均為15分鐘。

“Automation helps us increase the package sorting capacity, reduce human error and alleviate repetitive stress on employees,” says UPS.

聯(lián)合包裹指出：“自動(dòng)化幫助我們提升了包裹分揀能力，減少了人為錯(cuò)誤，緩減了員工從事重復(fù)性工作的壓力。”

Other companies have deployed mobile robots, controlled by central computer servers, for retrieving orders and carrying heavy loads. One example is Amazon, which acquired the robotics start-up Kiva for $775m in 2012.

其他一些公司利用由中央計(jì)算機(jī)服務(wù)器控制的移動(dòng)機(jī)器人來(lái)檢索訂單，搬運(yùn)重物。亞馬遜(Amazon)于2012年以7.75億美元收購(gòu)機(jī)器人技術(shù)初創(chuàng)企業(yè)Kiva就是一例。

On the floors of the internet company’s huge “fulfilment” centres that dispatch goods to online customers, squat orange machines on wheels whizz around carrying upright shelving units full of goods. Following instructions sent over WiFi about their speed and next location, they weave backwards, forwards and sideways to the caged perimeter where human workers pick items out through gaps in the fence.

在亞馬遜向在線客戶配送貨物的巨大“訂單履行”中心，裝有小輪的橙色機(jī)器帶著滿載貨物的直立式貨架快速穿梭。按照通過(guò)WiFi發(fā)送的關(guān)于速度和下一個(gè)位置的指令，它們?cè)谝粋€(gè)像籠子一樣的空間內(nèi)前進(jìn)后退、左右滑動(dòng)，工作人員從圍欄的開(kāi)口中將貨物取走。

Today, Amazon has 100,000 of the machines globally, while in China similar machines are used in the depots of companies such as Tmall, part of the online retail behemoth Alibaba.

目前，亞馬遜在全球共擁有10萬(wàn)臺(tái)這樣的機(jī)器。在中國(guó)，類似的機(jī)器也在諸如在線零售巨擘阿里巴巴(Alibaba)旗下的天貓商城(Tmall)等企業(yè)的倉(cāng)庫(kù)中使用。

Developments in software have been a key enabler in robotics for logistics. At Ocado’s warehouse, a centralised computer system that uses a planning algorithm communicates with the robots across a 4G network.

軟件技術(shù)的發(fā)展是物流機(jī)器人能夠投入運(yùn)用的關(guān)鍵。在Ocado的倉(cāng)庫(kù)中，使用計(jì)劃算法的中央計(jì)算機(jī)系統(tǒng)通過(guò)4G網(wǎng)絡(luò)與機(jī)器人進(jìn)行通信。

They are sent to a specific square and grab a crate containing a category of food, which they deliver to human “personal shoppers” around the edge. Collaboration among the robot swarm allows the completion of a 50-item order within minutes, compared with around two hours in Ocado’s older automated warehouses.

機(jī)器人被送到一個(gè)特定的方格，抓住一個(gè)裝有某類食物的箱子，然后把它們送至位于區(qū)域邊緣的真人“購(gòu)物助理”那里。機(jī)器人之間的協(xié)作能夠確保幾分鐘就可以處理一個(gè)包含50種貨品的訂單。而在Ocado的上一代自動(dòng)化倉(cāng)庫(kù)中，處理類似訂單大約需要兩小時(shí)。

Adopters of robots in logistics say the move can alleviate menial or potentially harmful tasks, such as lifting heavy loads. DHL Supply Chain is installing “collaborative robots”, or cobots: machines that work safely alongside humans, rather than behind a cage.

在物流業(yè)務(wù)中采用了機(jī)器人的公司表示，使用機(jī)器人可以減少粗重或者可能對(duì)身體有害的工作，如舉重物等。DHL Supply Chain正在安裝“協(xié)作型機(jī)器人”：機(jī)器人和人一起安全地工作，而不是在籠子后面工作。

Made by Rethink Robotics and equipped with an articulated arm and suction grabbers, “Sawyer” can perform repetitive tasks requiring movements that could injure a human worker, such as twisting.

由Rethink Robotics公司制造并配備多關(guān)節(jié)手臂和吸附抓手的“Sawyer”機(jī)器人，可以執(zhí)行所要求的動(dòng)作可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致員工受傷(如扭傷)的重復(fù)性任務(wù)。

At DHL’s Liverpool warehouse, Sawyers help humans pack deodorant spray cans or chocolate biscuits into boxes and have improved productivity by 15 to 20 per cent. The machines are responsive to touch and can be shown tasks without the need for programming.

在DHL位于英國(guó)利物浦的倉(cāng)庫(kù)，Sawyer機(jī)器人協(xié)助員工將除臭劑噴霧罐或巧克力餅干裝入盒子，使生產(chǎn)率提高了15%到20%。機(jī)器能夠響應(yīng)觸碰，無(wú)需編程就可以向其下達(dá)任務(wù)。

Despite fears that increased use of robotics will lead to job losses, many logistics and ecommerce companies insist they are in fact creating jobs as they open new warehouses to meet rising demand. However, some experts are sceptical about such claims.

盡管人們擔(dān)心，越來(lái)越多的機(jī)器人投入使用會(huì)導(dǎo)致人員失業(yè)，但許多物流和電商公司堅(jiān)稱，由于它們會(huì)新增倉(cāng)庫(kù)來(lái)滿足不斷增加的需求，它們實(shí)際上還在創(chuàng)造就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)。但是，一些專家對(duì)這種說(shuō)法持懷疑態(tài)度。

“There will definitely be less employment in the warehouse logistics sector through automation. Everyone says there will just be different types of jobs — I’m not 100 per cent that will be the case,” says Mr Lawrence. “There clearly will be growth in people who can programme robots and develop artificial intelligence solutions, but [for] people in logistics doing manual tasks the impact will be quite significant.”

“隨著自動(dòng)化程度的提高，倉(cāng)儲(chǔ)物流行業(yè)的就業(yè)崗位肯定會(huì)減少。大家都說(shuō)會(huì)有其他類型的工作崗位出現(xiàn)——對(duì)此，我不完全相信，” 勞倫斯說(shuō)， “對(duì)于能夠?yàn)闄C(jī)器人編寫程序、并進(jìn)行人工智能解決方案開(kāi)發(fā)的人員來(lái)說(shuō)，就業(yè)崗位顯然會(huì)增加，但對(duì)于從事體力勞動(dòng)的物流從業(yè)人員來(lái)說(shuō)，受到的影響將會(huì)非常大。”