HS Delivers Revolutionary Picking robot to Godt Levert

«This project is entirely unique and will greatly contribute to the efficiency of an industry that is currently dominated by manual labour,» says a proud Martine H. Wagener from HS News Systems.

HS News Systems has been working on the picking robot for nearly two years. The prototype is already operational at Cheffelo’s facility in Oslo and shows promising results. The project has received financial support from Innovation Norway through a collaborative project aimed at developing new and groundbreaking technology for the product handling industry.

Martine and Vibeke holding a box in front of the picking robot.

This is HS News Systems’ Picking Robot:

The robot selects the desired number of products for each grocery box (from 16 different locations).
The robot uses air pressure/vacuum (pneumatics) to pick up the individual product.
Advanced camera technology, image recognition algorithms, and machine learning are utilised.
The robot is space-saving, precise, and frees up labor for other tasks.
Error rate for one picking attempt: approximately 1%. Error rate for two picking attempts: 0.2%.
The first prototype picks spice bags. The next step in development will be handling other products.
Can eventually run 24/7. Boxes are temporarily stored until production starts in the morning.

Interior of the picking robot shows robotic arms and the containers for products.

Revolution in Robotic Technology within a Traditional Industry

The robotic technology now being implemented at Cheffelo (Godt Levert/Adams Matkasse) in Oslo is revolutionary in the industry. An industry that has undergone significant technological development in recent years.

«When the market discovered home delivery of grocery boxes, there was an explosion in the industry. Companies poured in people and labor to meet the demand. Today, a few years later, we see that not all have managed to survive in a market primarily driven by the end customer’s price. Therefore, it’s very rewarding and exciting to help one of Norway’s most central players on their path towards increased efficiency,» says Martine from HS News Systems.

Get to know «Rob» in the video below.

Fast forward to 2:40 to see HS News System’s picking robot. Norwegian audio, turn on English subtitles if needed.

A Collaboration with Big Ambitions

Chief Operating Officer at Cheffelo Norway, Vibeke Amundsen, explains that such solutions are an important part of the industry’s focus. There is no doubt that the robotization at Cheffelo is here to stay. The prototype has been in operation for almost six months. Now, plans are underway for another picking robot that will handle entirely different products.

Overview of the godt levert production line. Shows stacked food-boxes and convaior belts.

«For us, it’s important to challenge ourselves in how we produce grocery boxes and develop our process and product. Without innovation and development, we would remain stagnant, which is not sustainable in the long run. It’s about how you prepare for the future and how to provide customers with an even better end product.»

The robot has the potential to offer many opportunities for future development. Vibeke explains that this technology provides more opportunities for chefs to be creative.

«So far, we are very satisfied with how the picking robot works. Previously, employees had to perform this task manually. The robot can theoretically work uninterrupted and with greater precision than humans,» explains Vibeke.

Meet the team behind the Picking robot

The project has involved more than five man-years in total, and among those involved at HS News Systems are a designer, a mathematician, an engineer, and a mechatronics technician. The main person behind the development of the algorithm and software is Vidar Solli, an engineer and hired consultant for the project. He has worked closely with Janis Grobovs throughout the entire project. Janis was hired at HS News in 2022 and has mainly worked on the robot project.

-You could perhaps say that this is my passion project! It’s really exciting to see that it works so well in operation. In the early stages, the team and I had to continuously monitor the robot while it was in operation. During such phases, there are always incidents that require ongoing troubleshooting and corrections.

-What has surprised me the most is that the robot actually handles certain situations better than we expected, situations we might not have anticipated beforehand. This shows that the algorithms and machine learning are functioning exactly as we wanted, concludes Grobovs.

Janis Gobrovs in front of the picking robot.

This is Machine Learning:

Machine learning is often confused with artificial intelligence. Machine learning can be understood as a simplified version of artificial intelligence.
A learning algorithm first uses a set of training data to develop or improve a behavior. The algorithm must then be able to generalize and find solutions to problems it has not encountered before. This is done by continuously feeding it larger amounts of data through trial and error.

HS Delivers Revolutionary Picking robot to Godt Levert

«This project is entirely unique and will greatly contribute to the efficiency of an industry that is currently dominated by manual labour,» says a proud Martine H. Wagener from HS News Systems.

This is HS News Systems’ Picking Robot:

Revolution in Robotic Technology within a Traditional Industry

Get to know «Rob» in the video below.

A Collaboration with Big Ambitions

Meet the team behind the Picking robot

This is Machine Learning:

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HS Delivers Revolutionary Picking robot to Godt Levert

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