Developments in robotics and automation

This evening, 7 May 2025, Hill Dickinson will be hosting the 9th STIQ Robotics and Automation Networking Event, part of a series of informal networking events focusing on the robotics industry, from warehouse automation to humanoids to industrial robots. These STIQ events are one of the most prominent robotics meetups in the UK, with attendees from many of the large supermarkets, investors targeting the space as well as of course robotics businesses themselves (both emerging and those who have already been round the block!). At a time when the pace of technological development is faster than ever in history, such events offer a crucial means of staying up to date with developments and meeting those who are at the forefront of the sector.

One very interesting aspect of robotics is warehouse automation. We all rely on warehouses to fulfil our daily needs, from buying foods to clothes to other daily essentials. However, even the most automated warehouses are highly dependent on workers, which can create serious issues during busy periods; for instance, during the shopping season of December 2022, Amazon had to bring in 150,000 extra workers, only for the US. For this reason, McKinsey has forecasted that “Automation in warehousing is no longer just nice to have but an imperative for sustainable growth”. Even the slightest degrees of automation can dramatically increase efficiency and reduce costs when applied at scale. McKinsey thus forecasts that the warehouse-automation market will be worth more than $50bn by 2030; in a survey in August 2022, it found that 70 per cent of the 65 top logistics and supply chain executives were planning to invest approximately $100 million in automation (McKinsey & Company, “Navigating warehouse automation strategy for the distributor market”, 27 September 2024).

If we look closer to home, the British grocer, Ocado Group, is one of the leading providers of worldwide robotics. A decade ago, when footage of Amazon’s fulfilment centres was released (with machines lifting and carrying shelves to the pickers rather than individuals walking up and down never-ending rows of shelves), it looked very impressive. It is incomparable to the state of the Ocado Group’s warehouses today. At the centre of each of the Ocado Group’s fulfilment centres is a giant metallic grid called the “Hive”, with some of them being bigger than a football pitch. Each cell on the grid contains products stored in plastic crates; as orders arrive, a bot is dispatched to extract a crate and transport it to a picking station, where a human worker takes out the items ordered and scans them, as if at a supermarket till. Hundreds of bots operate on the grid simultaneously, choreographed by artificial intelligence, which communicates with each machine over a wireless network. The 500 series Bot enabled the Ocado Group’s fulfilment centres to gather all the goods for a 50-item order in less than five minutes. The new 600 series Bot is even faster, as it allows these grids to be created by 3D printing, lowering installation costs. This reduces installation time even further, by up to 40%.

There are of course many complications that arise from robots working among people. They have to be fitted with additional safety systems, which cause them to move slowly and cautiously. However, machines are likely to become increasingly more aware of their surroundings, allowing them to move around without compromising safety. For instance, NEC, a Japanese electronics group, has started using “risk-sensitive stochastic control technology”, which allows robots to weigh up risks when taking any action. It is described as a “software similar to that used in finance to avoid high-risk investment” (The Economist, “New robots – smarter and faster – are taking over warehouses”, 12 February 2022).

Trying to avoid re-iterating the obvious, warehouses are something on which we are all dependant, with the Economist even asking: “Is the warehouse business recession-proof?”(The Economist, “Is the warehouse business recession-proof”, 22 September 2022.).  For decades, some manufacturing companies have been able to excel thanks to innovations in warehousing (with Toyota’s Lean Manufacturing and Just-in-Time systems in the 1950s allowing parts to be delivered to the assembly line only when needed, rather than holding warehousing space being the prime example). Warehousing innovations are equally crucial for companies selling goods, with the increase in online shopping and with fulfilment times improving by the day. 

The STIQ Robotics Event is already sold out and will be attended by many industry leaders, promoting the exchange of ideas and further unprecedented innovations in warehousing and beyond.

Hill Dickinson specialises in providing legal advice related to emerging technologies – including robotics, automation and artificial intelligence.  Some examples of common issues we can advise on are:

1. Who is the owner of the IP (e.g. if AI creates a new song)? 

2. Article 22 of GDPR and issues with AI and GDPR generally. 

3. Discrimination bias in AI. 

4. Using copyright works to train AI models. 

5. IP in AI generated content and whether it’s registrable. 

6. What IP exists in a black box model?

For more information, please refer to our Robotics brochure.