Vecna Robotics

Vecna Robotics provides material-handling autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) with a fleet management and workflow optimization software platform, Pivot.al. The platform distributes and adjusts workflow tasks in real time, shares information between workers and robots, and integrates with legacy automation, robots, warehouse management systems (WMS), and management execution systems (MES). Vecna also offers the modification of existing machines into AMRs. Vecna Robotics spun off from parent company, Vecna Technologies (healthcare solutions manufacturer, research, and software firm). Although having received funding from a few government agencies initially to develop a humanoid robot, Vecna Robotics had shifted its focus to the development of logistics and delivery robots before the spin-off. 

Vecna Robotics has produced a variety of automated material-handling products to stay competitive: pallet trucks that can carry a maximum of 7,936 lbs at a maximum speed of 6.7 mph; pallet jacks that can carry a maximum of 3,300 lbs at a top speed of 3 mph; and tuggers that can carry a maximum of 9,920 lbs at a maximum speed of 6 mph. The pallet jacks can handle block, stringer, and plastic pallets, with or without bottom boards, and can run 24/7 with opportunistic charging. The tuggers are fork-free for safety and can tow different types of carts and navigate narrow aisles. Furthermore, Vecna offers autonomous counterbalanced fork trucks, via the Silverback Series line of vehicles. The fork trucks can lift a payload of up to 3,000 lbs up to 72” vertically and operate using Vecna’s orchestration platform, Pivot.al.

In November 2023, Vecna Robotics introduced a performance guarantee to make automation more accessible and streamline the deployment of mobile robots in warehouses and manufacturing facilities across the US. The guarantee was based on customer-defined success criteria, such as throughput, task completion, and uptime. 

Key customers and partnerships

Vecna Robotics’s clients include FedEx, Milton CAT, and Medline Industries. Vecna Robotics has partnered with competitors, such as RightHand Robotics (offers robot-picking solutions), integrating their material handling and autonomous mobility expertise to enhance e-commerce order fulfillment operations. The company also partnered with tech companies, such as Humatics (a microlocation product and software maker), integrating Humatics’ KinetIQ 300 microlocation system into Vecna’s AMRs, and Ouster (a developer of digital lidar sensors), to use Ouster lidar in its autonomous vehicles until 2025. 

Moreover, the company partnered with advanced material handling technology solution provider, Alta Material Handling Company, to offer its solutions to the latter’s clients in around 55 locations across the US.

 In March 2022, Vecna also partnered with Big Joe Lift Trucks, a pedestrian material handling equipment provider, to introduce a collaborative robot (co-bot) pallet jack named Vecna CPJ for manufacturing facilities and warehouses.