SG Holdings, Sagawa Express, Dexterity, and Sumitomo Corporation have jointly announced the launch of a proof-of-concept (PoC) project for truck loading robots.

Amid growing attention to Japan’s "2024 Problem"—a combination of labor shortages and new regulations limiting truck drivers' overtime hours—driver scarcity has become an urgent issue. Currently, Sagawa Express’s operations rely heavily on manual labor to load packages directly onto trucks.

To address these labor challenges and ensure long-term operational sustainability, the four companies are collaborating to automate the truck loading process.

Dexterity has already deployed its loading robots at FedEx in the United States. This project will adapt their advanced AI-powered solution to meet the specific requirements of the Japanese logistics environment, with the goal of full-scale deployment.

[Project Overview]

Duration: 1 year starting December 2023

Locations:

Dexterity’s facility in the U.S. – development of AI-equipped loading robots

SG Holdings Group’s X Frontier® hub – verification of the robots in real-world operations

Details:

Develop and test an AI-powered truck loading robot based on Dexterity’s existing model, customized to meet Sagawa Express’s standards for handling speed and transport quality

Install the robot at the X Frontier® relay center to validate its performance in live operations

Estimated Cost: Approx. ¥600 million (around $4 million USD)

Reference: [Sumitomo Corporation Press Release]
https://www.sumitomocorp.com/ja/jp/news/topics/2023/group/20231215_2

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