ArcBest Helps Bridge the Gap Between Robotics and Logistics Using NVIDIA Technology

ArcBest leverages NVIDIA Isaac Perceptor to advance its AI offerings, transform material-handling technology and shape the future of the supply chain

FORT SMITH, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, ArcBest^® (Nasdaq: ARCB), a leading logistics company, announced a collaboration with NVIDIA that uses the NVIDIA Isaac Perceptor to improve safety and efficiency in material-handling processes across warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities.

ArcBest is bringing the NVIDIA Isaac Perceptor platform for AMRs — cutting-edge machine vision technology — to its newly launched Vaux Smart Autonomy™ autonomous forklifts and reach trucks. The Isaac Perceptor modular perception stack brings 3D-surround perception, enabling a robot to better recognize objects, track human motion and make informed decisions that guide its path, for safer, more flexible and more efficient operations.

“Innovation is critical to our long-term growth strategy and our customers’ success,” said Judy R. McReynolds, ArcBest chairman, president and CEO. “This collaboration with NVIDIA enhances our AI and technology capabilities, which helps us better serve our customers and drive the global supply chain forward.”

Continuous improvements to support customer needs

With a constantly evolving economic environment, today’s supply chains are more complex than ever. Customers across industries need logistics providers to develop innovations to solve their most pressing challenges — now and in the future.

While Vaux Smart Autonomy’s current perception technology can handle real-world environments, Isaac Perceptor’s capabilities include cost-effective, targeted obstacle perception in a user’s intended target environments. This enables more accurate movements in unpredictable conditions, better obstacle avoidance and an overall safer environment. It also improves localization in dynamic environments such as bulk stacking or cross-dock warehouse facilities by utilizing a vision-based 3D view of its surroundings.

“Today’s material handling environment can be incredibly complex, with variability in the facility and products. Customers have expressed a need for greater efficiency and improved safety,” said Michael Newcity, chief innovation officer of ArcBest and president of ArcBest Technologies. “Our shift from 3D LiDAR sensors to visual AI technology is part of our continual progress and another step towards addressing these challenges. This advanced technology is not being used by any other robotics company in the logistics space, making our solution truly leading edge.”

Isaac Perceptor generates over 16.5 million 3D points per second per camera, enabling precise depth perception of obstacles, and therefore 3D occupancy mapping, for more efficient and safer material handling processes. This technology is also more cost effective than current 3D LiDAR sensors.

Vaux Smart Autonomy — looking ahead

ArcBest recently launched the company’s next step in its revolutionary Vaux suite: Vaux Smart Autonomy. The offering combines AMR forklifts and reach trucks, intelligent software and remote teleoperation capabilities to automate materials movement within warehouses, distribution centers and manufacturing facilities — all while keeping humans in the loop.

The company is committed to redefining industrial automation, empowering partners and customers with unprecedented productivity and adaptability as it evolves. Watch the short video at arcb.com/technology/vaux/smart-autonomy to see Vaux Smart Autonomy’s full capabilities. For additional details on the complete Vaux suite, visit arcb.com/technology/vaux. To learn more about ArcBest’s full scope of industry-leading technologies, go to arcb.com/technology.

ABOUT ARCBEST

ArcBest^® (Nasdaq: ARCB) is a multibillion-dollar integrated logistics company that helps keep the global supply chain moving. Founded in 1923 and now with 15,000 employees across 250 campuses and service centers, the company is a logistics powerhouse, using its technology, expertise and scale to connect shippers with the solutions they need — from ground, air and ocean transportation to fully managed supply chains. ArcBest has a long history of innovation that is enriched by deep customer relationships. With a commitment to helping customers navigate supply chain challenges now and in the future, the company is developing ground-breaking technology like Vaux^™, one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2023. For more information, visit arcb.com.