Are robots coming to the workplace? I saw a few AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) rolling around at Arizona’s Executive Connection Summit in February. Were they a harbinger? Perhaps. At Dscoop last month in Denver, HP Indigo showcased its expanded automation strategy featuring AMR robots developed with MoviĜo Robotics (from the Netherlands).
Outside factory walls, robots now deliver food on streets in 20 U.S. cities, including Los Angeles, Miami, and Philadelphia. In Chicago, approximately 100 robots from Coco and Serve Robotics roam neighborhoods, covering 34 square miles. They deliver orders for over 100 restaurants and retailers, such as DeNucci’s Pizza, Shake Shack, Harold’s Chicken Shack, Sunlife Organic, and White Castle. In late March, a delivery robot crashed into a bus stop shelter, shattering glass on the sidewalk; no real people were injured.
Uber Eats teamed with autonomous vehicle developer Avride to deploy AMRs. Moving at a pace of about 5 mph, each has a load capacity of 50 pounds or so. In LA, there have been reports of vandals kicking ‘bots and stealing their orders. This column was written by a human (me), but an AI search summary revealed that delivery robots navigate sidewalks and streets using advanced sensors and GPS technology. With a click, I also learned that:
- They typically deliver food within a limited radius, often around a mile or two.
- Delivery robots can operate autonomously, reducing the need for human couriers.
- Many robots are designed to handle various weather conditions, ensuring reliable service.
- They can provide real-time tracking for customers to monitor their orders.
- The use of robots can help reduce traffic congestion and carbon emissions in urban areas.
Some progressive equipment dealer owners are bracing for change, including Pulse Technology (headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois), which last month announced a partnership with Pudu Robotics. Further south in Kentucky, the Philpots at Precision Duplicating Systems (PDS) share their plans for AMRs and robots.
AMRs, plus meet our new AI workplace technology columnist
In the spirit of technological advancement, we debut a regular AI column featuring content by past contributor Greg Walters, the founder of CricketsUS (office-ready robots) and creator of an AI-powered sales training system. He will focus on AI trends and how the technology alters the way the dealer channel does business.
AI keeps moving fast, and West McDonald of GoWest.ai believes that 2025 was only a warm-up for what’s coming in the second half of this year. In his piece, “AI Disruption Accelerates,” he writes that now is the time for office technology dealers, manufacturers, and other vendor partners to get serious about using artificial intelligence in the channel.
Speeding ahead, how will diverse, new products and services be financed? “Outside the Box” Columnist Petra Diener looks at the combination of hardware and managed IT services. Meanwhile, economist Henry Willmore gets his head into the cloud and discusses how leasing partners can lead the way to monthly, subscription-based pricing models in more software-centric environments.
Plus, familiar voice Noel Ward ponders the effect of private equity suitors on the channel as new contributor Adrienne Palmer examines when it’s okay to “fire” a problem customer. For the latest CR CONNECT-DEALER TOUR, Filomena Tamburri talks to CEO Sean Mummert and The Office People in South Carolina.
In conclusion, AI may render the Google search engine (as we knew it) obsolete, along with smartphone apps and myriad software programs. Recently, a friend wondered aloud, to which his son replied, “Dad, ask AI.” This is the world in which our children and we live and work. Is there an AI “assistant” accessible on your phone? If not, what are you waiting for?
