Drones, Robots, and Automation: MODEX 2020 Recap

Before the massive conference shutdowns due to COVID-19, MODEX was held in Atlanta and showcased the latest and greatest in supply chain and manufacturing solutions. 

We were fortunate to connect with many attendees and demo our TMS shipping platform. Our CRO Justin Dickson led our booth and was featured in a MODEX clip, as seen below.

Without a doubt, the key takeaway from the event is that there is some pretty amazing technology on the market and being launched for those of us in the business of shipping!

Some of our favorites include:

• There were incredible displays on the latest in robotic technology to service the "last 50 feet of delivery", a term coined by the Urban Freight Center that is growing in popularity. As online deliveries continue to take off generally (and certainly right now with COVID!), companies seek to optimize the last 50 feet of the supply chain, which has been ignored in the past. Drones and robots are being developed to work with both traditional and self-driving vehicles.

• Developments in warehouse automation were showcased as well by companies targeting on-demand packaging. Collaborating companies Packsize and 6 River Systems claim their solutions are having an "immediate positive impact on productivity, packaging, and transportation costs." 

• Autonomous batch order picking solutions were displayed. One particularly cool application was with Numina Group integrating their real-time distribution software with Waypoint Robotics’ autonomous mobile robot to provide an innovative, highly efficient order picking solution.  

MODEX had a lot of little surprises for attendees - like the outdoor s'mores setup and the puppy petting booth! It was a terrific event overall, and we want to extend a special note of thanks to MODEX for communicating very clearly with attendees on risks, preparations to take, and advice regarding the COVID-19. We look forward to attending their future events!