Behind the Scenes of Exotec's RD Lab

With 200 employees, two labs, and a fresh perspective on innovation, Exotec has made RD the cornerstone of its automated warehouse solutions. But what does a typical day look like for an engineer? What cutting-edge warehouse robotisation projects are in the works? Take an exclusive peek inside Exotec’s RD and its innovations guided by Louis Esquerre-Pourtère, Head of RD.

More than 200 patents filed since 2022, 15% of sales ploughed back into R&D: the two founders of Exotec, Renaud Heitz and Romain Moulin, are engineers, and ‘you can feel it in everything they do’, says Louis Esquerre-Pourtère. When they first set up the company? ‘It was all about R&D, to design a product that works’. Their guiding principle? To put research and development at the heart of their project, but also of the life cycle of Exotec’s autonomous logistics solutions.
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This is reflected in the layout of the space: the R&D department is located next to the production line, ‘so that we can see what we’re designing, and so that those who assemble can come and see us easily if there’s a problem’. It’s an ongoing dialogue that enables us to find solutions and make ever-faster progress.

The Structure of Exotec’s RD Department

‘The department currently employs 200 people, a good half of whom are dedicated to software. The engineers are split between the company’s historic headquarters in Lille (170 people) and Lyon (30 people), where they have been based since the end of 2023.

In Lille, 500 m² are dedicated to test systems. These systems make it possible to test in almost real conditions ‘not only the robots, but also the conveyor or the robotic arm… In short, everything you need to play’, concludes Louis Esquerre-Pourtère.

Why set up a branch in Lyon? ‘ We chose this city because it has a real skills cluster. There’s also an ecological aspect: Lyon is a three-hour train journey from Lille, which means you can make many round trips with a limited carbon impact. ». An evolving lab, always on the lookout for new talent. Would you like to join us? Take a look at our job offers.

The department’s working methods are unconventional. ‘ We have a very agile approach, which is particular to this type of industry. This methodology comes from software, but we try to apply it to all our elements. It’s an iterative development, focused on repetition, to converge as quickly as possible on a solution that can be industrialised and installed on a customer’s site. ’.

As Louis Esquerre-Pourtère points out: ‘The agile approach, which enables us to work in rapid cycles, is well suited to the problems of robotics, which involves mechanics, electronics, electricity and different software layers.’

How does this differ from other companies in the sector? ‘ Traditionally, competitors invest significant time and resources into developing a product before putting it into production and selling it. However, our model enables us to release a product with a set of functions quickly and subsequently add more features as the product evolves. ’.

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Striking a Balance Between Innovation and Continuous Improvement in Warehouse Robotisation Systems

What are the department’s main research priorities in warehouse mechanisation? Firstly, a policy of continuous improvement of existing products so that they evolve with the market: ‘ In the same way that we try to develop quickly, we try to capitalise on systems that are already installed. We want to add functionality, improve performance, availability and maintenance. As a result, throughout the product’s life cycle, our customers benefit from constant improvements that guarantee the performance and availability of our solutions.

Not forgetting innovation, as Louis Esquerre-Pourtère points out: ‘We’re developing new products, like the Skypicker, a robotic picking arm that fits into the Skypod. for automated picking. In addition, we plan to develop solutions to conquer the warehouse. We initially developed the Skypod System for storage and introduced the Skypath, a system of intelligent conveyors that allows to link the Skypod System to other machines.’

Behind the Scenes of Innovation: the creation of the Skypath

‘ The creation of Skypath began with an observation: Exotec has installed many warehouses with a Skypod System and conveyors from another company. However, the installation process took six months to a year to fine-tune for optimal performance. We designed the Skypath as a modular conveyor with integrated electronics and software that includes path-finding algorithms for autonomous product conveyance. ’ It took a year, from the initial idea to the first on-site installation. Exotec’s customers benefit from the time saved during installation, better cost control, and improved performance.

The Arrival of Machine Learning in Warehouses

At the same time, teams dedicated to machine learning are making progress in item detection: ‘The ultimate aim is to have ultra-efficient automated picking systems that can pick items from bins, whatever their position, material, porosity or reflection,’ explains Louis Esquerre-Pourtère.

A project focused on algorithms and AI learning, which should make it possible to process ever more compact packaging and thus optimise the carbon footprint of Exotec’s customers.

What’s the day like for an engineer in Exotec’s R&D department? Far from being a loner, they work as part of a team dedicated to a product, as Louis Esquerre-Pourtère explains: ‘Every morning, they discuss the day’s priorities and actions with the project team.

For the mechanical part, the tasks may involve designing a part in 3D, producing a drawing and having the quality and precision of the part validated by your peers.

On the software side, for example, they may work on defining and developing a new feature or fixing bugs.

Then comes the testing phase, first in simulation, then in real-life conditions. ‘Everyone is committed to delivering a high-quality product that works perfectly in our customers‘ warehouses,’ concludes Louis Esquerre-Pourtère.

Would you like to learn more about the innovative Skypod System, developed by Exotec and how it works? Discover our warehouse automation system!