Manual order picking is one of the biggest sore spots for our customers. We have now developed an innovative solution that can eliminate this problem in existing warehouses: A robotic truck that automatically picks complex orders. Together with ROSSMANN, we have successfully tested this solution.
2025-09-24
Costly and prone to errors: For years, the order picking process has been a critical point in the logistics industry, not only because of labor costs but also due to errors caused by human involvement. At the same time, finding qualified personnel for manual labor has become increasingly difficult.
After intensive development, we now offer a solution: the Robotic Case Picker (RoCaP), which has already proven its value in the warehouse of ROSSMANN, one of Europe's largest drugstore chains. The RoCaP is an autonomous truck with a gripper arm that approaches pallets sequentially based on orders, removes individual packages, and securely stacks them onto a roll container or similar platform – even when packages are damaged or obstacles are present. "This truck is an innovation project with great potential for intralogistics," says Carsten Harnisch, Senior Vice President Robotic Systems Development at KION.
At the heart of the RoCaP vehicle are scanning processes using modern cameras and AI analysis that enable it to recognize its surroundings and seamlessly execute all tasks despite the complexities of mixed operations. During picking, the pallet from which a package will be taken is scanned first, defining the so-called workspace. Next, a height scan determines how many packages have been removed from the pallet.
The third and most complex step is the surface scan: Where exactly is the package located? Where are the corners? Is there any damage? Where are the best gripping points? All this happens within fractions of a second, after which the RoCaP uses advanced vacuum gripping technology to load the package onto the roll container it transports itself. This technology is powered in part by software chips from NVIDIA, with whom we have partnered since the beginning of the year.
The Robotic Case Picker uses a new gripping technology.
The RoCaP was piloted in a ROSSMANN regional warehouse, where multiple trucks will be deployed in the future. "We were pleasantly surprised as it performed far better than expected, particularly regarding the vehicle’s speed and gripping technology," emphasizes Hendrik van Duuren, Managing Director of ROSSMANN logistics. "Additionally, the technology eases the burden on employees when picking heavy items."
This is a task that many warehouse operators find challenging. The new truck marketed under the KION brand Linde Material Handling is equipped not only with innovative AI-driven technology but also reliable safety and robotics features that dramatically reduce error susceptibility during daily operations.
Will human picking soon be obsolete? RoCaP has the potential to automate it.
Collaboration with ROSSMANN has also revealed the great potential RoCaP holds. We now aim to further tap into this potential together with the company, which operates nearly 5,000 stores across Europe. Our ambitious goal is to gradually reduce labor-intensive manual order picking – for improved safety, efficiency and speed. "If this technology continues to advance, we will design warehouses very differently in the future," van Duuren asserts.
The robotic truck fills a gap that previously existed. There are already warehouses using automated order picking – our Dematic brand specializes in this – but not in mixed operations alongside non-automated trucks. "This is a breakthrough in intralogistics, especially regarding brownfield automation. The key to our past and future success is very close collaboration between us and our customers, focused on solving their challenges," summarizes KION Project Manager Peter Krumbholz.
The live debut of the Robotic Case Picker will take place November 12-13 at the Linde Automation Summit, together with ROSSMANN, in Aschaffenburg:
