Inside an unassuming building off Peachtree Parkway in Gwinnett County, robots, some of which look like Roombas on steroids, zoom around a warehouse floor, lifting pallets and moving racks of goods in precise routes.
Guided by QR codes on the floor, the robots are following a system outlining orders to fulfill.
The robots are made by Geekplus, a company based in China that has offices in the U.S. and has opened an innovation center in Suwanee, where it can demonstrate its technology to companies that want to more efficiently run their warehouses.
Its robotics systems are in use at some warehouses operated by UPS Supply Chain Solutions. Walmart Chile, Siemens and shoe company Allbirds are clients, too.
Many workers fear the rise in robotics and artificial intelligence could lead to lost jobs. Geekplus’ pitch to companies is that if they invest in robotic systems for their warehouse work, they’ll make back their return on investment within three years by reducing labor costs and increasing efficiency — and get three times the productivity.