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About

Simon Emde is a leading researcher in the optimization of robotic material handling and warehouse logistics, with a particular focus on Robotic Mobile Fulfillment Systems (RMFS). His work addresses critical operational challenges in automated warehouses, where fleets of robots transport shelves (pods) to human pickers. Emde’s most impactful contribution is his 2017 paper on "Parts-to-picker based order processing in a rack-moving mobile robots environment," which has garnered over 230 citations and established foundational models for coordinating robot movements and order batching. He has also developed efficient heuristics for scheduling twin robots along shared pathways, as seen in his 2014 work on the twin robots scheduling problem. More recently, his 2023 paper tackles the complex assignment of orders and pods to picking stations in multi-level RMFS, while his 2025 sensitivity analysis explores the robustness of these systems under varying conditions. Emde’s research consistently bridges theoretical optimization with practical warehouse design, making him a key figure in the evolution of modern, scalable fulfillment operations.