German lift truck manufacturer Kion Group has announced a collaboration with consulting firm Accenture and technology leader Nvidia to enhance supply chain operations through advanced artificial intelligence (AI) and simulation technologies. This strategic alliance, revealed on Tuesday, aims to assist clients in defining optimal configurations for new warehouse setups while also refining ongoing operations with digital twin technology.
The integration will employ Nvidia's Omniverse platform, specifically designed for creating large-scale industrial digital twins, referred to as Mega. This initiative focuses on promoting a digital twin powered by what is termed 'physical AI', thereby improving the responsiveness and functionality of smart warehouses equipped with automated forklifts, intelligent cameras, and robotics solutions.
In a statement, Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of Nvidia, highlighted the transformative potential of this collaboration. He remarked, “Future warehouses will function like massive autonomous robots, orchestrating fleets of robots within them.” He indicated that the combination of Omniverse and Mega within the solutions offered by Kion and Accenture has the potential to significantly accelerate the advancement of industrial AI and automation, ultimately benefiting the global distribution and logistics landscape.
Kion has highlighted its plans to utilise Nvidia’s technology to create digital twins of warehouses. This approach enables facility operators to design their operations in the most efficient and safe manner, without disrupting ongoing workflows. By utilising digital twins, Kion aims to optimise various elements, including the number of robots, human staff, and automated systems within warehouses.
Beyond mere simulation, the digital twin strategy will also involve training warehouse robots to adapt to various evolving conditions, including shifts in demand, fluctuations in inventory, and changes in warehouse layouts. When integrated with Kion’s warehouse management software (WMS), this digital twin can effectively assign tasks such as moving products from buffer zones to designated storage areas to virtual robots. These virtual entities, powered by sophisticated AI, are capable of planning, executing, and continuously refining their tasks, thus simulating an array of real-world operational scenarios.
The collaboration between Kion Group, Accenture, and Nvidia exemplifies the growing trend toward automation in supply chain management, with the potential to reshape how businesses operate in increasingly complex environments.
Source: Noah Wire Services