Goods to person robotics uses autonomous mobile robots to bring inventory directly to a stationary operator, eliminating the walking and searching of manual picking. Robots retrieve shelves, totes, or pallets from storage and deliver them to a workstation, where the operator picks the order. The system raises picking speed and accuracy while compressing storage footprint.

Key facts

•   Robots deliver inventory to a fixed picker, not the reverse

•   Three formats: shelf-to-person, tote-to-person, pallet-to-person

•   Geek+ documented picking: 400 to 500 picks per hour per station vs. ~90 manual

•   Picking accuracy above 99.99%

•   PopPick: up to 650 totes per hour, storage density up by 50%

•   Scales by adding robots without relayout

How does goods to person picking work?

In a goods to person system, inventory is stored on mobile shelves, in totes, or on pallets within a robot-served grid or rack. When an order drops, the warehouse software assigns the items and dispatches robots to retrieve the right storage units. Each robot carries its load to an ergonomic pick station, where the operator removes only the items needed and confirms the pick. The robot returns the unit to storage. Because operators never leave the station, travel time, the largest component of manual picking labor, drops to near zero.

Goods to person formats compared

 

Where is goods to person robotics used?

•   E-commerce and omnichannel order fulfillment

•   Apparel and footwear with high SKU counts

•   Healthcare and pharmaceutical picking

•   Grocery and 3PL distribution

•   Returns and reverse logistics

•   Operations expanding without adding floor space

Why use goods to person instead of manual picking?

Manual picking spends most labor hours on travel between locations. Goods to person robotics removes that travel by bringing inventory to the operator, which raises throughput several times over, lifts accuracy through guided pick confirmation, and recovers floor space by storing inventory more densely. It also reduces physical strain, shortening operator training and easing labor pressure during peak demand.

Plan a goods to person system

HOJ engineers and integrates goods to person robotics as an independent integrator, specifying Geek+ shelf, tote, and pallet platforms to match your SKU profile and order volume. Talk to a fulfillment specialist.