Yaskawa Does the Heavy Lifting at MODEX 2026

The global supply chain industry converged on the Georgia World Congress Center for MODEX 2026, showing off solutions for everyone from OEMs to end users. Standing at the forefront of this shift is Yaskawa Motoman. This powerhouse in industrial robotics is set to demonstrate how its latest ecosystem of hardware and AI is redefining warehouse efficiency.

Anyone attending shows over the past few years has seen a priority on solutions that address labor shortages and mixed-SKU processing. Yaskawa’s booth demonstrated capabilities across a wide range of applications, from heavy-duty picking to AI-enabled processing for handling precise or difficult situations.

High-Speed Layer Picking and Mixed-SKU Palletizing

Modern fulfillment centers are always on the hunt for automated mixed-SKU palletization that moves at the speed of a single-product line. Yaskawa welcomed the North American launch of the recently expanded PackMaster and layer picker solutions. PackMaster is a turnkey cell that offers options for mixed cases and random boxes and can handle both palletizing and depalletizing.

A MODEX demo of vision mixed with motion planning for mixed-SKU sorting.

Motion planning can easily be combined with vision systems. This enables modern software packages to detect and stack multiple layers of mixed packages in tighter, denser layers. Reliable motion is one piece of the puzzle. The other piece is to conduct this reliable motion at a higher speed to increase throughput.

Motoman NEXT: Bringing on the AI

Typical industrial robot applications require strictly controlled environments. As they say, “automation loves consistency.” Yaskawa is breaking this mold with the Motoman NEXT series, which has evolved since its introduction just over two years ago. The concept is an open platform that industry partners can leverage to develop more innovative solutions for targeted scenarios.

The Motoman NEXT platform can be used to develop solutions for a wide range of industrial applications, including electronics.

As could be imagined for any modern company, the Motoman NEXT platform uses AI algorithms for motion planning and vision. This allows it to recognize, approach, grip, and place variable items. This technology enables a wide range of bin-picking and pick-and-place tasks, with error checking built in!

Collaboration Between People and Robots

Not every warehouse has the luxury of extra floor space for huge safety cages. Some others perform tasks that cannot be physically removed from human participation. Yaskawa’s collaborative HC series bridges that gap between human safety and robotic strength. These robots are designed to work safely alongside human operators, automatically slowing or stopping if a person enters their workspace.

Cobot palletizing mixes moderately heavy payloads with human-robot interaction.

The HC line presents models with payloads ranging from 10 to 30 kg, and a total reach of 1200 to 1700 mm, depending on the model. They provide simple graphical programming structures and specialized software for many common tasks, including palletizing, bin picking, and even welding.

Supplying a Moving World

Global supply chains have always been demanding, but they have become increasingly competitive every year. Yaskawa’s MODEX booth highlighted a clear effort to bring together the most critical elements of supply chain automation. The display featured strong, reliable robots paired with comprehensive, open-platform software. Together, these tools enable collaboration between humans and hardware at any stage of the manufacturing process.