Aeon Starts Operating Physical AI Warehouse

Aeon, Aeon Global SCM and Mujin began full operations on October 29 at the Aeon Kawaguchi Higashi XD automated warehouse in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture. The facility uses physical AI to sort mixed goods and a system that centrally manages staff and equipment. Aeon positions it as a logistics automation model center for handling complex, store-specific shipments to small urban food supermarkets, and aims to automate 80% of the process for ambient case goods, from receiving through shipping.

The warehouse operates two AI-controlled industrial robot arms: a mixed-load palletizing robot and a mixed-load depalletizing robot. Using 3D vision (image recognition that captures objects in three dimensions), they inspect how different products are mixed. Based on shipping orders, the robots simulate how to sort the goods in advance and arrange them to improve loading efficiency. They continue working while checking cargo conditions, adjusting their movements if items shift or loads become unstable. Aeon says mixed-load work has been difficult to automate because load arrangements can change, and expects labor savings equivalent to about 25 workers per day in palletizing and about 8 in depalletizing.

The facility also has case-sequencing shuttle racks, which retrieve goods from racks to sorters in the required order at high speed according to shipping priority, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for sorting. A warehouse execution system (WES) centrally manages automated equipment and work instructions for staff, supporting warehouse operations.

Aeon announced a partnership with Mujin, which provides a comprehensive robot-control platform, in 2023 and outlined plans to build automated warehouses by 2026. Warehouses with automation systems began operating at Aeon Fukuoka XD in 2024 and Aeon Iwate FDC in September 2026. This is Aeon's first facility to automate the process from sorting mixed loads through palletizing.

Aeon, Aeon Global SCM and Mujin began full operations on October 29 at the Aeon Kawaguchi Higashi XD automated warehouse in Kawaguchi, Saitama Prefecture. The facility uses physical AI to sort mixed goods and a system that centrally manages staff and equipment. Aeon positions it as a logistics automation model center for handling complex, store-specific shipments to small urban food supermarkets, and aims to automate 80% of the process for ambient case goods, from receiving through shipping.

The warehouse operates two AI-controlled industrial robot arms: a mixed-load palletizing robot and a mixed-load depalletizing robot. Using 3D vision (image recognition that captures objects in three dimensions), they inspect how different products are mixed. Based on shipping orders, the robots simulate how to sort the goods in advance and arrange them to improve loading efficiency. They continue working while checking cargo conditions, adjusting their movements if items shift or loads become unstable. Aeon says mixed-load work has been difficult to automate because load arrangements can change, and expects labor savings equivalent to about 25 workers per day in palletizing and about 8 in depalletizing.

The facility also has case-sequencing shuttle racks, which retrieve goods from racks to sorters in the required order at high speed according to shipping priority, and automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for sorting. A warehouse execution system (WES) centrally manages automated equipment and work instructions for staff, supporting warehouse operations.

Aeon announced a partnership with Mujin, which provides a comprehensive robot-control platform, in 2023 and outlined plans to build automated warehouses by 2026. Warehouses with automation systems began operating at Aeon Fukuoka XD in 2024 and Aeon Iwate FDC in September 2026. This is Aeon's first facility to automate the process from sorting mixed loads through palletizing.