“Robots have been around a long time, of course. The newness of Kiva, which has four patents, with another 14 pending, is the way in which Mountz's team has integrated three technologies: WiFi, digital cameras, and low-cost servers capable of parallel processing. The servers work in real-time, receiving orders, immediately dispatching robots to bring the required pods to the worker fulfilling the order, and then returning the pods to their storage locations. The robots receive their orders wirelessly, while using cameras to read navigational barcode stickers on the warehouse floor.
In combining these technologies, the 125-employee company is bringing a potentially breakthrough innovation to warehousing and distribution, which supply-chain research firm Armstrong & Associates estimates is $37.5 billion-a-year business. "Kiva represents the first really 'new' technology in order fulfillment in years," wrote analysts at Aberdeen Group after touring the Zappos warehouse last year. “
BusinessWeek
Below is a fun video put together by the company – its bots not carrying their typical pallet payloads of but performing the Nutcracker
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