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Brightpick: Intelligent Warehouse Automation Systems
Explore how Brightpick combines autonomous mobile robots, robotic picking, and intelligent storage systems to automate warehouse operations and order fulfillment.
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Explore Berkshire Grey's robotic picking, automated trailer unloading, and shuttle-based sortation systems, including their real-world applications, integration requirements, and potential benefits for warehouse operations.
Developing intelligent robotic solutions for warehouse and distribution operations.
Berkshire Grey is a U.S.-based robotics and artificial intelligence company specializing in automation for warehouses, distribution centers, and fulfillment operations. Headquartered in Bedford, Massachusetts, the company develops robotic systems that handle individual products, sort merchandise, and automate physically demanding warehouse processes. Its technology combines machine vision, robotic manipulation, and intelligent material handling to help businesses improve throughput, reduce repetitive labor, and increase operational consistency.
Unlike warehouse automation providers that primarily offer complete storage and retrieval systems, Berkshire Grey focuses on specific processes within the movement of goods. Its solutions can integrate with existing conveyors, automated storage systems, warehouse software, and other material-handling equipment. This approach makes the company particularly relevant to businesses that have already invested in warehouse infrastructure but still rely on manual labor for critical operations.
Berkshire Grey's product portfolio addresses several distinct warehouse activities. Core uses robotic arms and AI-powered vision to pick and transfer individual products, particularly at stationary workstations. Stride uses automated shuttle-based sortation to distribute products among multiple order destinations, making it relevant to retailers and distribution centers processing large quantities of merchandise. Scoop targets inbound freight operations by automating the unloading of cartons from trailers and shipping containers.
These systems serve different operational needs and do not necessarily need to be installed together. A fulfillment center might introduce Core to automate picking at an existing storage system, while a retailer could deploy Stride to improve store-order sorting. A distribution facility handling large volumes of floor-loaded freight might evaluate Scoop to reduce manual unloading. Understanding the requirements and limitations of each solution is essential, since the equipment needed to deliver inventory, transfer products, and move completed orders can significantly influence the scope and cost of an automation project.
Berkshire Grey's Core technology uses robotic arms, computer vision, and AI-powered manipulation to identify, grasp, and transfer individual products. Unlike mobile picking robots that travel through warehouse aisles, Core typically operates at a fixed workstation, handling products delivered by an existing conveyor or automated storage and retrieval system. Its primary purpose is to automate the physical picking task that would otherwise require an employee to remove items from inventory containers and place them into order totes, shipping cartons, or another material-handling system.
For example, an e-commerce fulfillment center operating an AutoStore system may already retrieve inventory bins automatically but still employ workers at picking stations. Core can be integrated at these stations to pick products directly from retrieved bins and transfer them into customer orders. This allows the business to extend automation beyond inventory retrieval without replacing its existing storage infrastructure. The suitability of Core depends on factors such as product dimensions, packaging, graspability, order requirements, and the speed at which inventory can be delivered to the robotic workstation.
Core is particularly relevant to fulfillment centers, retailers, and third-party logistics providers that process large volumes of individual products. Common applications include transferring merchandise from inventory totes into customer orders, preparing products for automated packaging, and feeding downstream sorting equipment. In a facility using Berkshire Grey's Stride system, Core can also automate the induction process by picking products from incoming containers and placing them onto the shuttle-based sorter, reducing the need for workers to load items individually.
Implementing Core requires evaluating the complete workflow surrounding the robotic workstation. Inventory must reach the picking area through conveyors, shuttles, or another retrieval system, while completed orders or transferred products need a reliable downstream destination. Businesses must also consider how the system handles products it cannot confidently grasp, exceptions requiring intervention, and changes in their product catalog. For warehouses with established automated storage but significant manual picking labor, Core offers a way to improve productivity by automating a specific operation rather than redesigning the entire facility.
Berkshire Grey's Stride is an automated shuttle-based sortation system designed to distribute individual products across large numbers of order destinations. Rather than retrieving inventory from storage shelves or picking products directly from bins, Stride receives items at induction stations and uses automated shuttles to transport them to designated order totes or containers. The system is particularly relevant to retail distribution centers, grocery suppliers, and fulfillment operations that need to divide large quantities of merchandise among multiple stores or customer orders.
For example, a grocery distribution center may receive inventory in bulk but need to allocate individual products among hundreds of retail locations. Once the required merchandise has been retrieved and introduced into Stride, the system directs each item to the appropriate store-specific container. This replaces much of the repetitive work associated with manually sorting products into separate orders. Unlike a stationary robotic picking arm, which operates within a limited physical area, Stride is designed to distribute products across a much larger network of destinations, making it more suitable for high-volume sorting operations.
Stride's performance depends on how products enter and leave the system. Inventory may arrive through conveyors or automated storage equipment, but individual products must still be placed onto the sorter's induction points. This process can be performed by employees or automated using robotic picking equipment such as Berkshire Grey's Core. Combining Core with Stride creates a more automated workflow in which robotic arms transfer products from incoming inventory containers onto the sorter, while the shuttle system handles distribution to the appropriate order destinations.
Once an order tote reaches its required quantity or the assigned order is complete, it must be removed and transferred to the next operation. Depending on the facility's configuration, employees may exchange completed totes, or conveyors and additional handling equipment may move them toward consolidation, packing, or shipping. These upstream and downstream requirements are important when evaluating Stride because the sorter alone does not automate the entire fulfillment process. For businesses considering an installation, the strongest use case is a high-volume operation where distributing products among numerous destinations has become a significant labor expense or throughput limitation.
Berkshire Grey's Scoop is a robotic trailer unloading system designed to automate one of the most physically demanding operations in warehouse receiving: removing loose cartons from shipping trailers and containers. Many distribution centers receive floor-loaded freight, where boxes are stacked directly inside a trailer rather than secured on pallets. Unloading these shipments traditionally requires workers to enter the trailer, remove cartons individually, and transfer them onto conveyors or pallets. Scoop is designed to perform this handling process using robotic technology, reducing the manual effort required to move incoming merchandise into the facility.
A practical application is a retail distribution center receiving trailers filled with cartons from manufacturers or importers. Instead of assigning an unloading crew to repeatedly lift and transfer boxes, the facility could use Scoop to remove compatible cartons and feed them into its receiving operation. This makes the technology particularly relevant to warehouses processing large volumes of floor-loaded shipments, where unloading speed and labor availability can affect the entire inbound workflow. The business case is less compelling for facilities that primarily receive palletized freight, since forklifts and conventional pallet-handling equipment already provide an efficient unloading method.
Scoop is intended to address a specific bottleneck at the receiving dock rather than automate the entire inbound logistics process. Once cartons are removed from a trailer, they still need to be transported, identified, sorted, and directed toward storage or order processing. An installation may therefore require integration with telescopic conveyors, receiving conveyors, scanning equipment, and warehouse management software. Facilities must also evaluate trailer dimensions, dock configurations, carton sizes, weight ranges, stacking patterns, and the condition of incoming freight to determine whether robotic unloading is practical for their operations.
Because Scoop was introduced in 2026, prospective customers should distinguish its intended capabilities from performance demonstrated in commercial deployments. Berkshire Grey announced customer pilot activity and plans for production deployments, but buyers should request current references, verified unloading rates, supported carton specifications, and installation requirements before making investment decisions. For warehouses with substantial floor-loaded freight volumes, Scoop represents an opportunity to automate a clearly defined receiving task. Its financial value will depend on actual trailer throughput, labor requirements, equipment utilization, and how effectively the unloading system connects with the facility's existing inbound operations.
Selecting the right Berkshire Grey system begins with identifying the specific warehouse operation that needs improvement. Core is most relevant to facilities that already have a reliable method of delivering inventory to picking stations but still depend on employees to transfer individual products into orders or downstream equipment. Stride addresses a different challenge: distributing large volumes of merchandise among numerous destinations, particularly in retail and grocery distribution. Scoop focuses on receiving operations where workers spend significant time unloading loose cartons from incoming trailers. Each system targets a distinct operational bottleneck, and the value of an installation depends on whether that bottleneck is substantial enough to justify automation.
The existing facility is equally important in determining which solution makes sense. A warehouse with automated storage and manual picking stations may be able to integrate Core without replacing its storage infrastructure, while a business considering Stride must account for inventory induction, destination capacity, completed tote handling, and the space required for sortation equipment. Scoop requires an evaluation of receiving docks, trailer characteristics, carton handling, and downstream conveyors. Businesses should compare these solutions against alternative technologies, including mobile picking robots, conventional conveyor sorters, and established unloading equipment, rather than assuming that a more sophisticated robotic system will automatically deliver better results.
Warehouse automation investments extend beyond the purchase price of the primary equipment. A complete project may involve facility modifications, conveyors, electrical infrastructure, safety systems, software integration, installation, testing, and employee training. Implementation schedules and upfront costs can vary considerably depending on the existing warehouse layout and the amount of supporting equipment required. Core may offer a more contained upgrade when compatible infrastructure is already installed, whereas Stride can involve a broader material-handling project. Scoop may be deployed around a specific receiving operation, but its commercial maturity and integration requirements should be carefully evaluated. Prospective customers should request detailed proposals covering total installed cost, expected throughput, maintenance responsibilities, and ongoing support.
The strongest business case for Berkshire Grey's technology comes from measurable operational improvements rather than automation alone. Reduced manual handling, increased throughput, more consistent processing, and improved labor allocation can create long-term value, but return on investment depends on shipment volumes, operating shifts, labor costs, system utilization, and maintenance expenses. Businesses should also evaluate exception handling, equipment availability, and how easily the installation can adapt to changing product requirements. Berkshire Grey's modular approach makes its technology worth considering for warehouses seeking to automate specific processes within existing operations. Ultimately, the right investment is the one that solves a clearly defined operational problem while delivering a practical implementation plan and a measurable financial return.
Explore how Brightpick combines autonomous mobile robots, robotic picking, and intelligent storage systems to automate warehouse operations and order fulfillment.
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