Centre for Strategy, Technological Innovation, and Operations Seminar with Prof René de Koster (Erasmus University)

Human-Robot Collaboration in Order Picking

Abstract

The new generation of warehouses is gradually becoming robotized. Managers can select from many different competitive robotic techniques to store and retrieve loads and to fulfil the customer orders. In my talk, I discuss cobot order picking systems, where people work together with robots to pick the orders in warehouses, and focus on two main collaboration policies: fixed versus swarm. I will present four research questions in this area, addressed with different methods, namely: RQ1: Should we zone the system; RQ2: Which method is better (for the pickers): leading or following a robot; RQ3: How to route the picker and stack the pallet? and RQ4: Which operating policy is better: system directed or swarm? In order to answer these questions, (approximate) optimization models (queuing networks, SDP, and integer programming models) and empirical methods are used. I will share some insights obtained.

About the speaker

René (M.) B.M. de Koster is a professor of logistics and operations management at the Department of Technology and Operations Management, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM). After completing his PhD at Eindhoven University of Technology (1988) he worked as a consultant. He joined Erasmus University in 1995. Professor De Koster's research interests are warehousing, material handling, container terminal operations, behavioural operations and sustainable logistics. He is the author and editor of eight books and over 250 papers published in books and journals such as OR, POM, JOM, TS, IISE T, EJOR, and Interfaces. He is in the editorial boards of eight academic journals, a fellow of two reseach schools, chairman of Stichting Logistica, and founder of the Material Handling Forum. Professor De Koster is involved in teaching at RSM at all levels: bachelor, master, post-experience, and executive development. He held the honorary Francqui chair for Hasselt University in 2018 and was recently mentioned as “the most influential researcher” in material handling.