Episode 197 | Increasing Warehouse Efficiency and Solving Labor Shortages with Autonomous Forklifts

Josip Cesic, CEO & Co-Founder, Gideon joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the transformation that the warehouse logistics industry is undergoing driven by an urgent need for increased efficiency and automation. 

Labor shortages are rampant, with younger generations showing less interest in roles such as forklift driving. Gideon’s autonomous forklifts which are deployed to load and unload trailers achieve a return on investment within 1-3 years by maintaining or increasing throughput compared to manual operations. 

Gideon’s compelling unit economics, combined with soaring labor costs and challenges in attracting workers, is propelling major companies such as Walmart, Loblaw, DHL, and FedEx to double down on warehouse automation.

Josip explains how Gideon retrofits off-the-shelf forklifts with its autonomy kit comprising sensors including LiDAR and cameras, enabling safe and efficient autonomous trailer loading/unloading. As the technology scales, further cost reductions are anticipated through optimized computing solutions.

As Gideon scales, Josip sees autonomous trailer loading/unloading as merley just the starting point, The big goal is to fundamentally reimagine the entire supply chain through autonomy. During the conversation, Josip stresses the importance of thinking several steps ahead and forming strategic partnerships, as early successes attract fierce competition in this blossoming market.

Ultimately, Josip emphasizes that while robotics plays a pivotal role, the true bet is on people – adopting, driving, and benefiting from the revolutionary efficiencies that autonomous solutions will unlock across industries facing existential labor challenges.

Recorded on Monday, April 15, 2024 

Episode Chapters

0:09 Warehouse Automation Outlook

8:15 Warehouse Automation Market Evolving Over Next Decade 

14:40 Gideon Autonomous Forklifts

26:26 Global Autonomous Forklift Markets 

31:10 Future of Gideon

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