Pitney Bowes Inc. said Thursday it plans to deploy AmbiSort robots–automated parcel sorting systems from Ambi Robotics–in e-commerce hubs within the U.S. over the next five years.
The AmbiSort AI-powered systems will help Pitney Bowes speed parcel sorting to last-mile delivery providers for its e-commerce clients, while improving operational efficiency, accuracy and worker safety as parcel volumes continue to surge.
“As we continue to scale our Global Ecommerce business, Pitney Bowes is on an aggressive path to seek out the most innovative technology partners in the world to co-develop new solutions that will improve our service offerings and make e-commerce logistics easier for our clients,” said Gregg Zegras, executive vice president of Pitney Bowes and president of global e-commerce. “The AmbiSort AI-powered systems that Pitney Bowes has piloted over the past year and intends to deploy in our network of global e-commerce hubs over the next five years are part of a long-term plan to build the most technologically efficient, employee and client-friendly e-commerce logistics network in the industry.”
Pitney Bowes, a global technology company providing commerce solutions in the areas of e-commerce, shipping, mailing and financial services, recently completed a successful pilot of the AmbiSort system in its Bloomington, Calif., e-commerce hub. The system has efficiently and accurately sorted hundreds of thousands of parcels, with its AI technology leveraging each experience to get smarter and faster, leading to the planned rollout at other network hubs.
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“Global shippers are experiencing more demand than ever before and are turning to automated solutions that drastically reduce operating costs and increase associate productivity,” Jim Liefer, CEO of Ambi Robotics, said.
Powered by AmbiOS, Ambi Robotics’ advanced operating systems leverage proprietary simulation-to-reality AI that allows its highly dexterous robots to train exponentially faster than teaching algorithms in the physical world. AmbiSort robots pick, place and pack parcels twice as fast as manual processes, significantly reducing operating costs and automating tasks that are widely regarded as among the most physically and mentally taxing in the logistics industry, often leading to high rates of employee turnover. The AmbiSort systems represent an upskilling opportunity for Pitney Bowes associates who want to manage and operate advanced technologies.
“We’re excited about what this deployment means for the speed and efficiency of our business and the results we can deliver for our clients,” Zegras said. “We’re equally excited about what it means for our teams and our ability to attract and retain the talent we need to grow. Everything we can do to make our e-commerce hubs more innovative and our jobs more attractive gives Pitney Bowes an advantage in an increasingly competitive labor market.”