Hai Robotics Co. last week released HaiPick Climb, which combines autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, with an automated storage and retrieval system, or ASRS. The new HaiClimber robot is able to climb high into the storage array to retrieve and put away bins.
The HaiClimber acquires bins from anywhere in the storage array, then drives along the warehouse floor, and presents the bins at a manual picking station. The ASRS can be densely deployed from floor to ceiling, and the aisle only need to be 900 mm (35.4 in.) wide, optimizing space utilization.
Built around the HaiClimber AMR, the HaiPick Climb system offers a way for warehouses and distribution centers to improve efficiency, increase storage density, and scale operations — with minimal infrastructure requirements, said the Norcross, Ga.-based company.
“We know that many warehouses want to automate but are put off by the complexity and cost,” said Richie Chen, founder and CEO of Hai Robotics. “That’s why we created HaiPick Climb — to deliver powerful automation without the need for major facility modifications. Our system is built on simplicity, requiring only standard racking and minimal floor preparation while providing top-tier performance.”
Hai Robotics was a 2022 RBR50 honoree for the launch of its HaiPick autonomous case-handling robot (ACR). Since then, the company said it has iterated continuously with its portfolio, developing higher-reaching AMRs.
HaiPick Climb enables higher storage densities
Facilities can reach 30,000 storage locations within a 1,000-sq.-m (10,764-sq.-ft.) space, with totes stored up to 12 meters (39.3 ft.) high. This is higher than manual storage operations and provides more vertical storage capacity than other ASRSes on the market, claimed Hai Robotics.
“This isn’t just automation — it’s empowerment,” Chen said. “HaiPick Climb allows businesses to achieve new levels of efficiency and scalability without the typical barriers of ASRS. It’s about making advanced automation available to everyone.”
Hai Robotics designs for easy implementation, scaling
HaiPick Climb operates by attaching climbing channels to one side of industry-standard racking. Robots travel up and down these channels, retrieving totes from both sides of aisles. Since the system mounts from one side, it requires less infrastructure and is more tolerant of floor irregularities than a typical ASRS, reducing facility preparation and implementation costs, Hai Robotics asserted.
The goods-to-person (G2P) system is expandable with minimal disruption, enabling phased implementations and modifications without interrupting operations, it added.
HaiClimbers navigate under racking, allowing for a direct path for each tote delivery and avoiding robot congestion. Robots have access to every tote at all times, eliminating wasted response time, according to Hai Robotics.
Traveling at a speed of 4 mps (13.1 ft./sec. or 8.9 mph) and climbing at 1 mps (3.2 ft./sec. or 2.2 mph), the HaiPick Climb system can process 4,000 totes per hour. Totes are delivered to workstations in two minutes after order receipt — faster than traditional ASRS — allowing for extended order cutoff times for same-day fulfillment, Hai Robotics said.
The company will exhibit at Booth N7909 at ProMAT in Chicago this month.
