Danish logistics giant Maersk is four months into a pilot to assess Colorado-based BionicHive’s warehouse automation processes.

The system sorts, selects and puts away packages and can navigate warehouse floors using built-in cameras and sensors, moving between people and objects.

The uniqueness of the product is the ability to climb on the existing warehouse racking to sort, pick and replenish cartons directly to and from any spot in the rack. This is the said to be only technology in the market with so much flexibility in operations and little impact to existing warehouse interior infrastructure.

The evaluation is being conducted at a Maersk warehouse in Mira Loma, California, and is expected to last another four months. The mobile units are battery-operated, running a smart-power consumption module that automatically replaces its power packs. The Squid software integrates into warehouse management systems, providing real-time inventory data.

“Maersk is investing in testing new technologies that offer upgraded warehouse services to increase efficiency and add more flexibility to supply chains,” said Erez Agmoni, head of innovation at Maersk. “By integrating BionicHive’s Squid into our warehouse operations, we will be able to optimise processes and better serve our customers in a rapidly evolving market.”

Liran Raizer, CEO of BionicHive, added: “We are thrilled to complete this milestone with Maersk. Squid has been designed to automate warehouse environments by integrating into existing operations without the need for major investments. It is scalable with minimal changes to the existing warehouse and provides flexibility to handle any box from any location and deliver it anywhere with no height limitations.”

AP Moller-Maersk is an integrated logistics company that operates in 130 countries and employs more than 100,000 people.

BionicHive is developing an autonomous warehouse robotic fleet that can climb existing racks from floor-to-ceiling to pick and replenish boxes, cartons and totes. The company is based in Denver, Colorado, with an R&D centre in Sappirim, Israel.