Jacobi Robotics and Formic integrate automated motion planning into RaaS factory cells
The initial palletising integration combines automated motion planning with Formic’s operated robotics service.
Jacobi Robotics and Formic announced a partnership on 25 January 2024 to integrate AI-based motion planning into robotic cells supplied through Formic’s Robotics-as-a-Service model. The initial application is palletising, where industrial arms stack cases for storage and shipment.
Jacobi’s software calculates robot trajectories while accounting for obstacles, motion constraints and problematic joint configurations. The companies reported that combining the software with data and experience from Formic deployments reduced configuration and deployment from around a month to less than one day, while increasing robot productivity by 20%. They said the technology was already in use with US manufacturers.
Formic finances, installs and supports the cells for an hourly fee, including monitoring and maintenance. Jacobi supplies the programming and motion-planning layer. Formic reported sevenfold year-on-year growth in production hours, and the partners planned to extend their collaboration to additional manufacturing applications.