- Verity Drones can scan 1,000 RFID labels per second with a 99.9% precision rate
- Drones enabled for RFID improve visibility and monitoring of real -time elements beyond traditional door systems
- Technology handles low priority tasks, ensuring that human roles remain safe for now, but the future is uncertain
Verity, On, and Maersk recently collaborated to renew warehouse operations through a combination of drones with AI and RFID technology.
Developed by Verity in Zurich, Switzerland, autonomous drones sail the warehouse halls independently while scanning precision RFID labels.
The pilot project aims to improve inventory monitoring by integrating these two advanced systems, which allows greater visibility, control and monitoring of real -time elements beyond the traditional RFID door systems, thus eliminating the need for human intervention.
THE POWER OF RONES IMPROVED BY RFID
Traditional RFID systems depend on fixed readers, which limits their ability to trace the inventory efficiently. By incorporating RFID in the drones driven by Verity’s AI, warehouses can now benefit from a totally autonomous mobile inventory tracking solution.
Drones can scan up to 1,000 elements labeled with RFID per second, achieving a 99.9%precision rate.
To validate the effectiveness of this technology, Verity, On, and Maersk did tests in a high volume warehouse in California. More than 1,500 drones flights were completed and the system successfully made 80 million RFID readings and tracked 1.25 million individual labels for a period of three months.
“In Maersk, we are committed to taking advantage of the advances in logistics through avant -garde technology,” said Jason Walker, head of the Logistics of the North America contract of Maersk.
“The exploration of drones enabled for RFID in our stores is a testimony of our dedication to innovation and operational excellence,” he continued. “It is important that this technology improves the capabilities of our team, empowering them to focus on more strategic tasks and boost continuous continuous improvement.”
The rapid advance of store automation raises concerns about the future of human work in the sector. The Verity system reduces labor requirements by up to 92% for inventory control tasks.
However, the impact on the general employment of the warehouse is more complex. Automation has historically complemented labor shortages instead of completely replaced works. In many cases, human workers prioritize essential tasks, leaving inventory as a lower priority. The new drones with AI fulfill this role, ensuring precise monitoring of actions without affecting other warehouse functions.
“By merging the AI, the collection of autonomous data on scale and RFID, we are closing the gap between the digital and physical worlds to offer full visibility between the supply chains,” said the CEO of Verity Raffaello D’Acanrea.
It may be that warehouses will evolve in larger and totally autonomous spaces, where the machines handle all aspects of the operations and tens of thousands of jobs will be lost. Technically, human works are safe because this technology handles tasks of less priority, but this can be a sign of things to come.
