Boston-headquartered supply chain AI and automation specialists, Pickle Robot Company, has been featured in Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s (MIT) campus publication MIT News, for its autonomous mobile robot (AMR) which can unload 400 to 1,500 cases an hour, depending on the freight.

The company, founded in 2018, pays homage to The Apple Computer Company through its name and states its mission is to “automate global supply chains”.

It was included in MIT News because it was founded by three MIT alumni - AJ Meyer, Ariana Eisenstein and Dan Paluska - and they believe, according the to the story, they have what it takes to become the technology leader for supply chain automation.

“The company’s unloading robots combine generative AI and machine-learning algorithms with sensors, cameras, and machine-vision software to navigate new environments on day one and improve performance over time,” the MIT piece reads. 

“Much of the company’s hardware is adapted from industrial partners. You may recognize the arm, for instance, from car manufacturing lines.”

Pickle Robot counts UPS, Ryobi Tools and Yusen Logistics among its customer base.

One of the founders, Paluska, says there is enormous potential for robots and people to work collaboratively in the future.

“Humans are really good edge-case problem solvers, and robots are not,” Paluska adds. “How can the robot, which is really good at the brute force, repetitive tasks, interact with humans to solve more problems? 

“Human bodies and minds are so adaptable, the way we sense and respond to the environment is so adaptable, and robots aren’t going to replace that anytime soon. But there’s so much drudgery we can get rid of.”

Among that drudgery is the loading and unloading of trucks, automating which also promises to improve warehouse safety with less workplace accidents involving staff.

“Our immediate product roadmap is load and unload,” founder Meyer tells MIT News. “But we’re also hoping to connect…third-party platforms. Other companies are also trying to connect robots.

“What does it mean for the robot unloading a truck to talk to the robot palletizing, or for the forklift to talk to the inventory drone? Can they do the job faster? 

“I think there’s a big network coming in which we need to orchestrate the robots and the automation across the entire supply chain, from the mines to the factories to your front door.”