Nexera’s NeuraGrasp can grasp objects that have been beforehand troublesome to choose, corresponding to porous polybags. Supply: Locus Robotics
Locus Robotics, which launched the Locus Array cellular manipulator final month, immediately mentioned it has acquired Nexera Robotics to extend the variety of SKUs that its robotic can deal with. Nexera’s patented NeuraGrasp will change the suction cup gripper on Array, vastly widening its success capability, mentioned the businesses.
“The frontier of warehouse robotics immediately is AI-driven cellular manipulation at enterprise scale,” acknowledged Rick Faulk, CEO of Locus Robotics. “Having the ability to effectively grasp tens of millions of SKU varieties with each velocity and precision is the place the following decade of worth will get created. Nexera has constructed one thing technically important in that house, and mixing it with Locus Array places us on the forefront of leveling up cellular manipulation throughout the business.”
“We’ve executed loads with Array, notably on the notion and greedy intelligence aspect, however we knew that we would have liked to evolve the gripper know-how as a result of there are limits with utilizing suction,” Gina Chung, chief technique officer at Locus, informed The Robotic Report. “Since final 12 months, the group recognized Nexera Robotics as one attention-grabbing know-how that we might combine onto Array to unlock an entire host of advantages round manipulation capabilities.”
Locus Robotics gained a 2026 RBR50 Robotics Innovation Award for Array. See this 12 months’s honorees, which can be celebrated on the ticketed RBR50 gala dinner on the Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston subsequent week.
Hamid Montazeri, senior vp for software program and AI at Locus, will take part within the opening keynote panel on “Constructing the Subsequent Period of Robotic Autonomy” on the Robotics Summit. Registration is now open.
NeuraGrasp is designed for flexibility
Relatively than attempting to unravel robotic greedy of numerous items with only a suction cup or a claw gripper and programming, Nexera Robotics mentioned it designed NeuraGrasp to offer flexibility and reliability in robotic pick-and-place purposes. NeuraGrasp combines a mushy, compliant membrane with onboard sensing, laptop imaginative and prescient, and synthetic intelligence.
The Vancouver, Canada-based company mentioned it has confirmed that NeuraGrasp can dynamically grasp a variety of things, from small containers to porous polybags and fabric objects.
“We constructed NeuraGrasp to unravel the manipulation challenges which have held robotic choosing again for years,” mentioned Roy Belak, CEO of Nexera Robotics. “Becoming a member of Locus Robotics provides us the platform, scale, and buyer base to carry this breakthrough know-how into the high-velocity success environments it was designed for, the place velocity, reliability, and real-world adaptability matter most.”
“We needed one gripper to unravel all of them. Others are restricted by suction or device switching, which most clients don’t need,” Chung mentioned. “Nexera has already executed tens of millions of picks, so the mixing path must be straightforward. Locus will deal with Nexera’s present clients on a case-by-case foundation.”
With NeuraGrasp, Locus Array will be capable to autonomously pick issues corresponding to loosely bagged attire, irregular packages of prescribed drugs, contoured merchandise, small electronics and industrial objects, and client items weighing as much as 5 lb. (2.2 kg.) corresponding to a bottle of detergent. Locus mentioned this represents nearly all of e-commerce SKUs.
“While robotic choosing arms have been round for some time, Locus Robotics is amongst a small variety of distributors to natively embed robotic choosing on the coronary heart of the automation, signaling a shift in direction of totally automated choosing,” mentioned Rueben Scriven, a analysis supervisor specializing in logistics automation at market intelligence agency Work together Evaluation.
“Merchandise manipulation has been one of many largest bottlenecks to profitable robotic choosing,” he defined. “Over time, we’ve seen important developments in machine imaginative and prescient and path planning. However the precise manipulation and gripping of things — and thus the SKU protection — has been a major problem. Having sturdy end-effectors is changing into a major aggressive benefit.”
Nexera Robotics is integrating NeuraGrasp into the Locus Array cellular manipulator. Supply: Locus Robotics
Locus Array will get a grip on extra objects
Locus Array formally launched at MODEX 2026, the place it was as a top-three MHI finalist for Finest New Innovation amongst greater than 200 submissions. The cellular manipulator is presently reside in buyer deployments, with further websites in progress.
Groups from each Locus and Nexera are working to combine the NeuraGrasp finish effector into the Locus Array platform. They mentioned they count on the mixed know-how to turn out to be obtainable within the coming months.
“Whereas Array can’t decide surfboards, shoeboxes with flip lids, or books that may open, it’ll decide 90% to 100% of most clients’ SKUs,” Chung asserted. “We have already got AI-driven choosing intelligence with out preprogrammed SKU libraries, and a few of NeuraGrasp’s notion skills must be merged into our manipulation stack.”
As with its Locus Origin and Vector autonomous cellular robots (AMRs), Locus Array with NeuraGrasp will use the LocusONE software program platform to orchestrate fulfillment workflows throughout choosing, replenishment, sorting, and packout.
“LocusONE supplies a single tech stack for all our AMRs,” mentioned Chung. “As well as, Origin and Vector can help human associates with dealing with oversize or heavy objects that Array cannot. Two deployments are already beneath manner, and we’ve got a 24/7 deployment plan for Array.”
Locus Robotics additionally mentioned its acquisition of Nexera Robotics will considerably broaden its addressable market.
“That is brand-new to our clients,” Chung mentioned. “They knew we had one thing coming to market and are enthusiastic about getting far more stock protection from Day 1.”
“Within the coming months, we’ll show to clients at Locus Park how NeuraGrasp can decide nearly any SKU, primarily based on the load limitations of the robotic arm. It doesn’t want a big floor space can decide perforated polybags, beanies, or mesh baggage — objects that have been beforehand inconceivable to know,” she added. “We’re even asking clients to ship us consultant samples of their SKUs to Locus headquarters to attempt it out.”
Nexera expands Locus footprint from coast to coast
Based in 2021, Nexera Robotics can be wholly owned and operated as a part of Locus Robotics. The corporate’s complete group and management are becoming a member of Locus.
“Nexera provides us a West Coast workplace,” mentioned Chung. “The acquisition provides Locus a next-generation R&D base, AI and {hardware} fusion, and deep SKU protection.”
Locus Robotics is working greater than 17,000 techniques via its robots-as-a-service (RaaS) mannequin throughout greater than 360 amenities worldwide, and it has carried out greater than 7 billion picks so far. The Wilmington, Mass.-based firm mentioned it has over 150 clients in retail, healthcare, third-party logistics (3PL), and industrial manufacturers.
“Locus Robotics is the fourth largest cellular robotic vendor globally by way of income, and the second largest cellular robotic vendor within the order fulfilment phase,” Scriven informed The Robotic Report.
“With 190 million autonomous mission miles within the warehouse, we’ve got probably the most sturdy indoor autonomy stack within the business,” Chung claimed. “With Nexera, we’ll be taking a look at different manipulation use circumstances.”
Editor’s be aware: Chung will take part in a webinar on advances in robotic case and every choosing at midday EDT on Wednesday, June 3. Register now to attend and to get your questions answered in the course of the reside broadcast or to observe on demand.
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