Rockin’ Robots “on a Mission” at Mercedes-Benz of Plano By JULIE WALKER, Assistant Editor, Car Dealership Guy News The first robot to swoop through the service department at Mercedes-Benz of Plano in Texas crashed out due to data overload. It lasted about a month, Stephen Rand, fixed ops director for the dealership, told Daily Dealer Live host Sam D’Arc during a segment recorded in September in Las Vegas. The next two “moved at a snail’s pace,” while crashing into shelves and such. Now, the store’s third wave of robots zips through the department. Rather, the trio scoots along at 3.9 feet per second. Rand’s group partnered with Richtech Robotics out of Las Vegas for the trio of bots now delivering parts to the group’s 100 service bays. After the first robot’s data-overload hiccup, Rand said the techs wanted more. “We started hearing the technicians saying, ‘Hey, I want the next one! When’s it coming?’” Rand said. (They also helped inspire desire for the bots by taking three people off the parts counter to witness the wait firsthand.) Rand estimates the robots save technicians about 30 to 45 minutes per parts run. And that doesn’t include time saved from curbing chitchat that typically happens at the parts counter when a human comes to collect. The robot patrol also sped up the warehouse: Three human parts runners were moved there, improving how fast inventory gets stocked and staged. “We’re getting parts off the dock, into the warehouse and then out to the technicians faster than we have in a very, very long time,” Rand said. NUTS AND BOLTS Each robot stands about 4 feet tall and 2 feet wide, and can carry up to 300 pounds. Rand told CDG News that while the robots could feasibly carry a human, they don’t actually ride them, of course, as that would be a safety violation. (Totally.) The department’s layout gets mapped out for the robots, and they constantly learn the most efficient paths. Sensors have improved enough that the robots now navigate around people and equipment without incident. The early models, again, struggled with nicking parked cars and such. Now, Rand says, the robots let you know if you’re in their way by saying: “I am on a mission, please let me pass.” Rand also said his team is working with Richtech to have a robot follow staff directly into the parts warehouse to load itself for an even speedier experience. BY THE NUMBERS Each of the robots covers about 10,000 steps a day, or about five miles, Rand said. And, until charging time, they don’t stop. Plus, there’s that 300-pound weight limit, Rand said, estimating that a Mercedes-Benz battery weighs anywhere from about 30 to 50 pounds. “Depending on the size of the battery, the robot can take three batteries out,” Rand said. “We would have to send somebody out three times with three different loads to carry three batteries.” DEALERS’ CHOICE 20
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