THIRA Robotics Co. today announced the first U.S. deployment of its T300 mobile robots. After a successful pilot project, Hyundai Transys has chosen THIRA’s robots to autonomously transport carts to the production line and retrieve them after unloading in its factory in Alabama.
The expanded implementation of automation across facilities will benefit U.S.-based organizations, asserted THIRA Robotics in a release.
“Owners and engineers at brownfield warehouses and factories who could not implement AMR automation without investing tens to hundreds of thousands of dollars into retrofitting the floors can now save money on floor improvement and invest in automation, solving labor shortages that prevent them from meeting market demand,” stated Peter Kim, CEO of THIRA Robotics.
AMRs free Hyundai Transys workers for other tasks
Hyundai Transys is a core affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group that specializes in automotive parts including power trains and seats. While Korean manufacturers have opened new factories in Alabama, local efforts to increase manufacturing jobs have coincided with mass layoffs.
THIRA Robotics claimed that its autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can improve productivity by collaborating with human workers, reducing repetitive tasks, and supporting production-line needs during employee shortages.
The T300 has a payload capacity of 300 kg (661 lb.), uses hybrid SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping), and is designed for factories and warehouses, said THIRA Robotics.
“After the introduction, we can perform other tasks without worrying about transporting carts,” said a Hyundai Transys representative. “It is convenient to be able to transport products easily.”
THIRA Robotics pursues U.S. expansion
THIRA Robotics said the integration of its AMRs into Hyundai Transys’ production is “a major stepping stone for THIRA to continue expanding across the country.”
The South Korea-based subsidiary of THiRA-UTECH said its second-generation AMRs can move across imperfect, bumpy, angled, or messy floors of older facilities. It contrasted that with other mobile robots, which can only move on flat, dry, and clean surfaces.
THIRA said its global partners include Doosan, Hyundai, and Mando. In October, THIRA said it is collaborating with Zeeland, Mich.-based systems integrator DISHER “to bring [its] second-generation AMR to facilities with complex conditions that were previously considered unfit for automation.”
The global market for mobile robots could expand from $2.4 billion in 2023 to $8 billion by 2033 at a 12.7% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), forecast Fact.MR. The market research firm noted that North America had a 19.2% market share worth $466.3 million in 2023.
Another estimate from ReportLinker predicted a CAGR of 15.6%, from $3.36 billion in 2023 to $6.94 billion by 2028. It said the automotive sector will continue to drive growth, and that Asia-Pacific will be the region with the most demand for AMRs.
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