Arthur Hanson
Well-known member
With real estate, labor costs and retail theft all going up, when will stores and warehouses be converted to giant automated vending machines? The savings through more efficient land and energy use would be substantial especially with cube warehouses where the racks double as building structure utilizing almost every unit of space and energy use. The time and cost savings for both the supplier and the customer would substantial. Automated picking equipment guided by a simple AI applications will make all this possible. Combine this with automated delivery, which is coming, and we will be entering a whole new world of cost and time savings. This same technology will be applied to all types of materials from construction, maintenance and consumer items. Already automated warehousing is proceeding with Walmart and others leading the way. Automated vehicles doing delivery will even lower cost savings in time and money. The mechanization of almost everything will ensure a vast and growing market for semis and robotics of all types. Any thoughts, comments or additions to this thesis sought and welcomed.