- Verity -Drons can scan 1,000 RFID -Tags per second with an accuracy speed of 99.9%
- RFID-activated drones enhance visibility and real-time article tracking beyond traditional port systems
- Technology handles low priority tasks, ensuring that human roles remain safe at the moment but the future is uncertain
Verity, On and Maersk recently collaborated to restore inventory operations through a combination of AI-driven drones and RFID technology.
The autonomous drones are developed by Verity in Zurich, Switzerland, and navigating independently of stocks independently while scanning RFID tags with precision.
The pilot project aims to improve storage tracking by integrating these two advanced systems, enabling greater visibility, control and real-time article tracking beyond traditional RFID port systems, thereby removing the need for human intervention.
The force of RFID-enhanced drones
Traditional RFID systems are dependent on regular readers, limiting their ability to track stock effectively. By incorporating RFID into Verity’s AI-powered drones, stocks can now take advantage of a fully autonomous, mobile inventory tracking solution.
The drones can scan up to 1,000 RFID marked goods per day. Second and achieve an accuracy speed of 99.9%.
To validate the effectiveness of this technology, Verity, On and Maersk carried out attempts at a warehouse in high volume in California. Over 1,500 drone flights were completed and the system successfully performed 80 million RFID readings and tracked 1.25 million individual tags over a period of three months.
“At Maersk, we are obliged to utilize progress in logistics through advanced technology,” said Jason Walker, head of Maersk’s North American contract logistics.
“The exploration of RFID-activated drones in our warehouses is a testimony to our dedication to innovation and operational expertise,” he continued. “Most importantly, this technology improves our team’s capabilities, allowing them to focus on more strategic tasks and run continuous improvement.”
The rapid progress of warehouse automation raises concerns about the future of human labor in the sector. Verity’s system reduces the work requirements by up to 92% for inventory management tasks.
However, the effect on the overall hiring of inventory storage is more complex. Automation has historically supplemented the lack of work rather than completely replaced jobs. In many cases, human workers prioritize important tasks and leave stock tracking as a lower priority. The new AI-powered drones fill this role, ensuring precise stock monitoring without affecting other stock functions.
“By merge AI, autonomous data collection in scale and RFID, we bridge between the gap between the digital and physical worlds to deliver complete visibility across supply chains,” said Verity CEO Raffaello d’Andrea.
It may be stocks will develop into larger, fully autonomous spaces where machines handle all aspects of operations and tens of thousands of jobs will be lost. Technically, human jobs are safe because this technology handles tasks with lower priority, but this may just be a sign of the upcoming things.
