Toru, an autonomous robot that Zalando is using to pick shoe boxes from the shelves of its warehouses, has completed its test phase at the German e-tailer's logistical hub in Erfurt, Germany. Next up are a pilot phase at the company's warehouse in Lahr and, if that is successful, deployment elsewhere. The robot was designed by Magazino, a start-up that deals in intralogistical robotics – and in which Zalando purchased shares in February 2018. Most logistical robots, according to Magazino, handle large packages such as pallets and crates. Toru's advantage is that it can handle objects as small as individual shoe boxes. Moreover, its cameras and sensors orient it in space and enable it to work safely alongside human beings. This is precisely what it will be doing at the warehouse in Lahr. For now, as Magazino works to solve problems of identification and shorten processing time, the robot will be handling fewer boxes than its human counterparts. According to Carl-Friedrich Rico zu Knyphausen, Zalando's head of logistical development, the goal behind developing such devices is not to replace employees but to seek out an optimal collaboration between them and machines, one that increases ergonomics and reduces occupational hazards for humans.

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