Just a Little to the Right. No, No, Your Other Right.

May 02, 2023

Over the past few decades, warehouse robots have become increasingly popular in the logistics and supply chain industry. These automated machines are designed to perform various tasks such as picking, packing, and moving goods, making the process of managing a warehouse more efficient and cost-effective.

According to a recent report, the global market for warehouse robots is expected to grow by over 20% in the next five years. This growth can be attributed to the numerous benefits that warehouse robots offer, such as improved accuracy and speed, reduced labor costs, and increased safety for employees.

It is not uncommon to find that when a technology grows in popularity, innovators will find ways to apply it to new use cases with great success. Consider drones, which were initially used for military and surveillance applications, but now are used for aerial photography, environmental monitoring, delivery services, and more. Virtual reality is another such case, with roots in video games and entertainment, but now being used for military training and medical simulations, for example.

A Japanese company called Preferred Robotics believes that warehouse robots will be the next technology to leap into another area of application. They have developed an autonomous robot named Kachaka that is designed to automate, not warehouse operations, but your home. This little voice-controlled robot can zoom around the floor to pick up your furniture and move it to a new location on your command. Whether or not people will find this sort of capability as useful in their homes as it is in a warehouse remains to be seen, however.

Kachaka is outfitted with many of the features you might find on an industrial robot — a camera, LiDAR and 3D ToF sensors, and an actuator that can lift about 45 pounds. It also runs deep learning algorithms to help it locate furniture and navigate through one's home. This all comes packaged in a clean-looking black case that somewhat resembles a robot vacuum cleaner. In addition to accepting voice commands, Kachaka also comes with a companion smartphone app to set up more complex tasks and schedules.

At this time, the robot cannot move around just any furniture. Preferred Robotics sells specialized shelving units that Kachaka is designed to pick up and relocate. These shelves are pretty basic, and likely it must be so since the robot can only carry about 45 pounds, and presumably the owner would like to be able to put a few things on those shelves.

The creators of the robot envision it bringing objects to the owner as they are needed throughout the day, perhaps bringing breakfast to the table in the morning, or delivering a book and cup of coffee after work. There may be enough novelty with Kachaka that some people would be interested in the device. However, considering that the robot costs about $1,700, and a pair of shelves costs about $200 more, the list of buyers might be a bit limited. And to keep Kachaka running, you will need to pay a monthly fee of about $7.40.

For most people, the value proposition is probably not there just yet. But perhaps there is a niche market for Kachaka today. It might prove to be useful in the tiny apartments frequently found in very large cities, for example, to streamline reconfiguring that limited space for different purposes. And perhaps in the future the device will be less costly and more versatile, which might make it popular with a wider audience.