Basic biology dictates that even the best forklift driver can flag, lose focus and make mistakes. Enter Gideon, a pioneering robotics and artificial intelligence solutions company upending the logistics world with Trey, its AI-powered autonomous forklift that introduces human-like perception and decision-making to the loading bay, one of the supply chain’s most challenging environments. Trey is designed to work alongside human employees, freeing them up to instead focus on more complex and creative work.
Founded in Croatia in 2017, Gideon recognized early on that the future of mobile robotics would be powered by AI and 3D-perception capabilities, according to Josip Cesic, CEO and a company co-founder. Unlike traditional automated systems that rely on predetermined patterns or fixed infrastructure, Trey can differentiate between more than 25 different pallet types and make real-time decisions based on what it "sees." Loading and unloading operations often involve different companies, many located thousands of miles apart, and teams on the receiving end generally don’t have information about how trailers were loaded, a scenario that doesn’t always mesh with a system’s built-in programming.
“Our robots understand the world similar to how we humans see it,” says Cesic. “Flexible automation that can make decisions on the fly, the way people do, is game-changing.”
Also game-changing is the fact that each unit collects data during operations, which means the system improves its capabilities via shared learning continuously. “All Treys share that common knowledge," says Cesic. "The base gets stronger. The data sets get richer. And new units benefit from the collective experience of the entire fleet."
He adds that not only does Trey reduce manual driving by 80%, thanks to a loading and unloading capacity of 25 pallets per hour throughout (potentially) round-the-clock operations, its 360-degree field of view also results in fewer injuries and less damage to equipment and goods. Even more, Trey allows just one human operator to oversee multiple autonomous units, transforming that operator from a hands-on driver to a fleet manager. "It's [no longer a] 1-to-1 [ratio],” says Cesic. “It's 1-to-5 or 1-to-10—even 1-to-15.”
Ratios like these add up to significant cost savings. “Customers essentially save over 50% of their capital over five-year terms,” says Cesic. "Per unit, a customer can save around $60,000 per year." (This assumes an annual salary of $70,000 for a forklift driver, which Cesic notes is a conservative estimate, given current labor market trends.)
Not surprisingly, the industry is taking notice. With around 350,000 forklift drivers in the U.S. alone handling loading and unloading operations manually, with no help from automation, the potential market is vast.
Trey also addresses a looming crisis in the logistics industry: a workforce shortage in the increasingly bottlenecked loading bay. Cesic points to Yorkshire, UK, for example, where the average age of forklift drivers increased by four years over a five-year period—a telling indication that young workers aren't lining up to enter the field. “Do you know 10 people who dream about driving forklifts?” he asks. “Ten people who dream about spending time in factories and warehouses for life?”
Looking ahead, Gideon is focused on expanding Trey's capabilities and integrating it into end-to-end automation solutions. While trailer loading and unloading remains Gideon’s primary focus, the company is also exploring other applications through partnerships with industry giants, such as Toyota and Nvidia.
And for those who worry about automation replacing jobs, Cesic offers the following perspective: "People think that robots and AI will take their jobs, but it's not robots or AI that take people's jobs. It's the people [who] use robots and AI as a tool. Being more efficient—being more effective with less—is what robots and AI allow us to do."
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