FedEx Corp. has introduced an AI-powered sorting robot at its air cargo terminal in Cologne, Germany to improve the accuracy of conveyor systems that move and route packages. The robot is the first of its kind in FedEx’s European network and highlights the company’s focus on using technology to automate logistics functions, the company said Friday in a news release.
Cologne Bonn Airport is the largest of seven FedEx (NYSE: FDX) air stations in Germany, employing more than 900 persons.
The robotic arm, manufactured by Hellebrekers B.V., is mounted inside a protective cage on the small package sortation line where incoming parcels are fed. The machine primarily sorts documents and smaller parcels up to 8.8 pounds, processing up to 1,000 pieces per hour and routing them to about 90 destinations. Its main job is to ensure that every parcel is placed with the label facing upward because the sort system in Cologne is equipped with only a top-read camera for scanning labels, spokesman Jonathan Lyons said via email. The robotic system integrates two cameras — top and bottom — and a flipper mechanism to detect and correctly orient each item before placement on the conveyor so that every label is readable by the downstream scanner.
“AI-supported technologies like this help us manage shipments more effectively, enhance customer experience, and boost our competitive edge as e-commerce continues to drive growth in the market,” said Boris Stoffer, FedEx’s managing director network operations Germany. “These technologies are also supporting our employees by reducing physical strain by taking over repetitive, high-volume tasks.”
Automation is a rapidly growing feature of modern warehouses because of the productivity they provide in picking, packing and sorting shipments. The global warehouse robotics market is projected to exceed $51 billion by 2030, according to Statista.
FedEx installed four robotic arms at its Memphis, Tennessee, global package hub in 2020 to assist small package sorting. In 2022, FedEx deployed more sorting robots at its South China e-commerce sorting center in Guangzhou, China, and its Singapore hub. The express carrier said it also uses robotic sortation and identification systems at 17 U.S. distribution facilities.
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