Zebra Technologies Abandons Autonomous Robotics Ambitions

Zebra Technologies’ foray into warehouse automation volition beryllium abbreviated lived.

The endeavor exertion institution known mostly for its barcode scanners, RFID solutions and mobile handheld devices is exploring strategical alternatives for its robotics automation business.

More from Sourcing Journal

• UPS Leans Into $9 Billion Automation Strategy with Robotics Rollout

• Shanghai, Ningbo Set Container Records arsenic China Ports Defy Trade Headwinds

• Massive Fire Guts 11M Units astatine Korean Fashion DC, Disrupting Black Friday Flows

In a Monday regulatory filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Zebra indicated that it would “dispose [of] oregon exit” its autonomous mobile robotics (AMR) business. The Robot Report archetypal broke the quality of a strategical reappraisal past Friday.

Zebra expects to incur up to $80 cardinal of one-time pre-tax charges progressive with the review, including astir $60 cardinal successful impairment charges during the company’s 4th quarter. The actions are expected to prevention $20 cardinal successful the agelong run.

According to a Zebra spokesperson, the reappraisal pivots the exertion institution further backmost to its halfway offerings.

“This determination volition alteration Zebra to further sharpen our strategical absorption connected digitizing and automating frontline workflows and connected our investments successful cardinal maturation areas, including our halfway markets specified arsenic mobile computing, printing, and scanning arsenic good arsenic RFID, instrumentality vision, AI and bundle solutions,” the spokesperson said successful a statement. “Long term, we volition proceed to supply solutions that empower organizations to summation productivity, optimize inventory, and automate workflows to amended service consumers and patients crossed our cardinal industries.”

The Robot Report indicated that astir of Zebra’s robotics unit volition beryllium laid disconnected by the extremity of 2025. Around 25 percent of the unit volition enactment connected until March 2026 to negociate existent AMR deployments.

That study besides said the AMR businesses wasn’t scaling arsenic accelerated arsenic Zebra had hoped, contempt continuous investments successful the division.

Already having offered respective technologies designed to amended workflow connected the level for warehouse workers, Zebra stepped into warehouse automation erstwhile it acquired Fetch Robotics for $290 cardinal successful August 2021. Zebra had a 5 percent involvement successful Fetch anterior to the acquisition.

With Fetch nether its wing, Zebra integrated a bid of AMRs to optimize picking successful fulfillment and organisation centers and facilitate just-in-time worldly transportation successful manufacturing sites.

At the time, the institution said the robotics solutions would assistance trim the interaction of labour shortages successful fulfillment, organisation and manufacturing environments. The technologies could integrate with third-party warehouse and manufacturing systems without the request for changes to facilities oregon infrastructure.