Robots-to-Goods: Era of Fully Autonomous In-Aisle Picking Begins

A new category of warehouse automation is emerging: the Robots-to-Goods (R2G) model, where intelligent robotic systems go directly to inventory and execute fulfillment tasks such as picking, putaway, and replenishment within the aisle. Locus Robotics' new Locus Array system applies this Robots-to-Goods model by perceiving, reasoning, and acting in real time, executing autonomous fulfillment directly between the racks. According to Gina Chung, vice president of corporate development at Locus Robotics, the robots-to-goods concept represents one of the most significant innovations in warehouse technology, rethinking how operations are automated.

Unlike traditional systems that move inventory through fixed processes, robots like Locus Array are dynamically assigned to tasks in real time, minimizing travel, maintaining continuous SKU availability, and enabling higher storage density within existing warehouse layouts. Locus Array automates nearly the entire picking and replenishment process, eliminating over 90% of manual touches while removing ergonomic and travel risks. DHL Supply Chain is among the first global customers using Locus Array in live operations, with the system now being tested by early-access customers.

Locus Array represents Locus Robotics' entry into what the industry is beginning to recognize as the next major automation category: Robots-to-Goods; for years, the dominant paradigm for high-throughput warehouse automation was Goods-to-Person (G2P) and Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (AS/RS), but both required large upfront capital investments and extensive fixed infrastructure. In Robots-to-Goods, robots perform putaway, picking, inventory movement, and deplenishment within an automated zone; instead of supporting a human through the workflow, the robot executes it, and capacity scales by adding robots, not fixed infrastructure. The system made its official European debut at LogiMAT 2026 (March 24-26) in Stuttgart, Germany, followed by its North American debut at MODEX 2026 (April 13-16) in Atlanta.

Gina Chung emphasizes that the most important trend driving warehouse automation today is the need for flexibility, a word that describes both the ability to scale volumes up and down in line with current demand (essential in the post-COVID-19 era) and machines designed to perform more than a single task while working smoothly alongside humans. Locus Robotics autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have completed 7 billion picks for customers worldwide, a milestone reached just four and a half months after the six billion mark, signaling how rapidly these networks are scaling. As warehouses grapple with volatile demand, labor fluctuations, and rising SKU complexity, the robots-to-goods model offers a future that promises both density and throughput alongside flexibility.

Note: This summary draws on SupplyChainBrain's publicly visible headline + subhead + opening paragraph and on sector background on warehouse automation.

Key Takeaways:
1. Robots-to-Goods (R2G) model is a new warehouse automation category where autonomous robots interact directly with inventory within aisles
2. Locus Robotics' Locus Array system automates over 90% of picking and replenishment processes, eliminating manual touches
3. DHL Supply Chain is among the first global customers testing Locus Array in live operations
4. R2G does not require fixed infrastructure like traditional Goods-to-Person (G2P) systems and scales capacity by adding robots
5. Locus Robotics AMRs have completed 7 billion picks in total, reaching that mark just 4.5 months after hitting 6 billion