Driven by the global surge in e-commerce and smart logistics, warehousing operations and automated goods handling are undergoing an unprecedented digital transformation. Under this trend, traditional manual loading and unloading methods are giving way to automated robots, first with AMRs and AGVs, and ultimately to humanoid robots, to meet skyrocketing order volumes, improve inventory accuracy, and satisfy the real-time demands of dynamic operations. In particular, the development of humanoid goods-handling robots is seen as the next major industry inflection point.
Humanoid robots must operate in tight spaces, navigating narrow aisles and high-racked storage areas, so their control units need to be both physically small and computationally powerful while consuming minimal energy. Moreover, they must withstand sustained high loads without overheating, making thermal management and system stability critical design considerations.
In goods-handling scenarios, robotic systems are held to strict requirements for positioning accuracy, image-based feedback latency, environmental sensing, and reliable operation across wide temperature ranges. To satisfy these demands, the control platform must combine a compact footprint, edge-AI capabilities, high performance, low power consumption, and flexible I/O expansion.
By deploying a COM Express-based solution, integrators can address limited installation space and achieve the requisite compute performance and system reliability. Through tight integration of software and peripheral hardware, a complete, robust control ecosystem is realized.
As the market for humanoid robots pushes ever higher demands for precise real-time processing and multi-sensor fusion, the Portwell PCOM-BA0X series emerge as an ideal COM Express® Type 10 module. Measuring a mere 84 × 55 mm, it delivers high performance at low power, perfect for mission-critical robotic control and seamless hardware/software integration. Powered by the Intel® Atom™ platform, it provides stable, real-time data processing to ensure robots can react instantly in dynamic environments. When paired with the corresponding carrier board, its rich I/O interfaces connect depth cameras, LiDAR, IMUs, and motion-control units to enable high-precision path planning, dynamic obstacle avoidance, and accurate pick-and-place operations.
Portwell DMS offers five integrated services: consulting, design, product, manufacturing, and logistics, to deliver core solutions for digital transformation and smart manufacturing. The global consulting team leverages market insights to provide technical support and compliance guidance, helping clients define clear product strategies, accelerate development cycles, and ensure smooth deployment. Our design services encompass R&D, validation testing, and firmware development, supporting AI and edge-computing applications. A range of modular platforms compatible with mainstream AI frameworks, combined with remote management and high-density I/O designs, find use in industrial automation, medical devices, networking, and more. Our manufacturing centers deploy intelligent inspection and warehousing systems, holding medical and automotive quality certifications to maximize quality control. Finally, our global logistics network streamlines the supply chain, shortens delivery and maintenance cycles, and reduces total cost of ownership, creating a flexible, cost-effective ecosystem that provides end-to-end support for the projects.