Third Wave Automation raises Series A round for 'shared autonomy' forklift

Warehouses and distribution centers have looked to automation to improve worker safety and address labor shortages, and the novel coronavirus pandemic has accelerated e-commerce demand. “None so far have managed to reliably deliver on the tallest of orders — a maneuver that forklift operators call the ‘high rack put away,” said Seth Winterroth, a partner at venture capital firm Eclipse. And if you can’t guarantee that your automated forklift can do it reliably, you leave a clear lane for a competitor who can.” “Our technologies enable autonomy that is robust to dynamic environments, varying payloads, and changing conditions,” Poursohi said. “Warehouses are fast-moving and messy environments, pallets are misplaced when forklift operators are in a hurry, payloads and the pallets themselves degrade over time, and there is constant movement in heavily trafficked areas.” “Third Wave systems identify the situation immediately, make a decision about how much of a correction must be made, and are trained to confirm with the forklift operator if the correction is in any way unsure,” he explained. “Particularly at a time when people must physically distance to avoid contracting the coronavirus, robots are making these facilities safe,” wrote Winterroth, who has also managed investments in 6 River Systems Inc., among other companies.