How Macrovey’s Mobile Warehouse System Exemplifies the Future of 3PL Automation

Blue Sky Robotics
Jul 28
5 min read

Updated: Jul 29

In the ever-evolving world of third-party logistics (3PL), the pressure is on: faster fulfillment, more SKU variety, less labor, and tighter margins. E-commerce has pushed expectations sky-high, and traditional warehouse operations are often ill-equipped to handle the complexity.

That’s why the Mobile Warehouse System developed by Macrovey in collaboration with Blue Sky Robotics is a breakthrough worth examining. This project rethinks what automation looks like in 3PL environments, offering a blueprint for how flexible, intelligent, and mobile systems can meet today’s operational demands.

From its design and deployment to its robotic control and vision stack, the Mobile Warehouse System highlights how Blue Sky Robotics is helping integrators like Macrovey bring advanced automation to logistics environments that demand both adaptability and scalability.

A New Take on Warehouse Automation: Built on Wheels

The Mobile Warehouse System isn’t just a robotics cell, it’s a fully integrated fulfillment environment constructed on the bed of two 18-wheeler trailers.

That’s right: a deployable, modular warehouse that can be relocated, reconfigured, and reimagined for a variety of use cases, from permanent fulfillment operations to rapid-deployment logistics hubs. Inside this mobile unit, a tightly coordinated network of robots work together to receive, store, retrieve, sort, and package goods for shipment.

Macrovey designed the architecture and orchestrated system-level integration, while Blue Sky Robotics developed the two critical robotic workstations that make this solution tick: induction and kitting.

How It Works: The Four-Step Workflow

The Mobile Warehouse System runs through four core stages:

1. Induction: Vision-Guided Sorting

At the entry point of the system, incoming items are introduced and sorted by a UFactory xArm 6 robot outfitted with Blue Sky Robotics’ vision system and motion control software. This induction station identifies the item, determines its destination, and places it into the appropriate bin.

This process is entirely vision-guided and designed to accommodate variable packaging. Think bags of snacks, bottles of hand sanitizer, boxed items, and more. The ability to dynamically sort without hardcoded part locations allows the system to handle SKU diversity with ease.

2. Storage: Bin Transport and Shelving

After items are sorted into bins, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) take over. These AMRs transport the bins from the induction station and store them on an organized shelving system inside the trailer.

These AMRs form the connective tissue of the system, shuttling items from induction to storage and later to the kitting station.

3. Kitting: Order Fulfillment with Dual xArms

When an order is received, an AMR retrieves bins with the relevant items and delivers them to the kitting station, where two UFactory xArm 6 robots (again controlled by Blue Sky’s vision-guided platform) select the required items to fulfill the order.

This dual-arm setup enables efficient parallel picking, allowing multiple orders to be prepared in tandem or single orders to be fulfilled with greater speed. The flexibility of the system allows for rapid SKU switching and minimal changeover time.

4. Packaging: Bag and Ship

Once the kitting step is complete, the grouped items are passed through an automatic bagging machine and sealed for shipping. From there, they're either staged for final shipment or handed off to outbound logistics.

This end-to-end pipeline from intake to outbound is managed in a footprint no larger than two semi-trailers, proving that automation doesn’t need a massive warehouse to make a massive impact.

Why This System Matters for 3PL Providers

Macrovey’s Mobile Warehouse System wasn’t built for show. It was built to solve real, recurring pain points in 3PL workflows. Here’s why it’s so valuable to the logistics industry:

1. Built for High-Mix Environments

With so many different SKUs moving through modern fulfillment networks, automation must be adaptable. The Mobile Warehouse System handles variable product shapes, sizes, and packaging without needing rigid tooling or complex reconfiguration thanks to vision-based sorting and flexible robotic control.

This makes it ideal for 3PL providers that handle small consumer goods, fast-moving inventory, and seasonal or short-run product lines.

2. Scalable and Modular by Design

The system doesn’t require a massive warehouse footprint. It can be deployed where it's needed- on-site at a client facility, inside a hub-and-spoke network, or even as a pop-up fulfillment center during peak seasons. This makes it especially appealing to 3PL companies with variable workloads or multi-client operations.

3. Reduces Dependence on Manual Labor

The automation of induction and kitting, two of the most repetitive and labor-intensive steps in fulfillment, significantly reduces physical strain and reliance on a large labor force. This is critical in an industry facing persistent labor shortages and high turnover.

4. Enhances Order Accuracy and Speed

Vision-guided robotics don’t fatigue, and they don’t misplace items. The result is faster order processing and improved accuracy, even as product lines grow more complex.

Blue Sky Robotics’ Role: Powering Induction and Kitting

Macrovey’s vision for a mobile warehouse relied on tight coordination between multiple technologies, but much of the system’s intelligence lives inside its induction and kitting workstations. These are the most complex decision-making nodes in the pipeline, and they were built by Blue Sky Robotics.

Here’s how we contributed:

Custom Vision Software: Our computer vision stack enables real-time identification and grasp planning across diverse item types.

Robot-Agnostic Control Layer: Though this system uses UFactory xArms, our architecture is designed to work across multiple brands, offering long-term flexibility and vendor freedom.

Low-Code Operator Interface: Warehouse staff can adjust parameters, onboard new SKUs, or override picks through an intuitive user interface with minimal training.

System Responsiveness: By minimizing latency in detection-to-action cycles, our control system enables quick and fluid robot motion, even with unpredictable item presentation.

This isn’t just about programming robots, it’s about building intelligent, reconfigurable systems that integrate seamlessly into 3PL operations.

A New Playbook for 3PL Automation

Macrovey’s Mobile Warehouse System is a model for how 3PL companies can reimagine fulfillment:

Replace static lines with dynamic cells
Deploy automation in compact, mobile formats
Use vision-guided robotics to handle SKU variety and changeovers
Enable integrations with AMRs, WMS platforms, and bagging systems
Scale automation gradually, with systems that are modular, not monolithic

And with a partner like Blue Sky Robotics, these innovations don’t need to live in the distant future. They can be deployed now.

The Takeaway: Flexible Automation, Delivered

The Mobile Warehouse System solves the real-world challenges of 3PL: SKU diversity, labor limitations, and constant change. By marrying Macrovey’s integration expertise with Blue Sky Robotics’ flexible automation stack, this system proves that fulfillment automation doesn’t need to be complex, expensive, or static.

Instead, it can be smart, agile, and deployable wherever your logistics operation needs it most.

Let’s Build Your Next System

Whether you’re a 3PL provider looking to automate key workflows, or an integrator seeking a technology partner with deep robotics experience, Blue Sky Robotics is here to help.

We specialize in building flexible automation systems that work across platforms, evolve with your business, and deliver lasting value.