From blue-sky concept to industrial deployment: how Ocado Technology used simulation to guide the development of the world's most advanced grocery picking robot

Ocado Technology recently released On-Grid Robotic Pick (OGRP) - the world’s most advanced grocery picking robot. Simulation played a significant role in guiding several years of research and development for this product. In this paper, we discuss how the simulation of OGRP was built in parallel with the development of the product itself, and how having an integrated model enabled us to better search the large and complex design space of possible implementations. We describe the benefits of this approach around business alignment and product development speed, which could be applicable to other large industrial simulation projects.