End-to-end supply chain solutions specialist Knowles Logistics has announced that the company has invested in drone and robotics technology.
The logistics company hopes the investment will revolutionise the warehousing and inventory management operations of the business.
The drone, known as inventAIRy XL, is supplied by industrial automation technology experts, RAWview, and has been specifically designed for the logistics sector to drive efficiencies across warehousing operations.
Alex Knowles, Managing Director of Knowles Logistics said: "RAWview and their capabilities in streamlining inventory auditing has enabled us to integrate this cutting-edge technology into our operations.
"It has been a game-changer for our perpetual inventory (PI) teams and customer offering. By automating our inventory management process, we can now guarantee total accuracy and traceability from the moment products enter our facility to the point they leave – in turn providing our customers with a much better view of their stock in real time compared to manual PI teams in scissor lifts."
This technology can fly to designated racked pallet locations, scan barcodes, and cross-reference the data with the company's Warehouse Management System, all without human supervision.
In the initial integration process, RAWview generated a digital 2D map of Knowles' 90,000 pallet capacity Wisbech-based site, including specific rack layouts, which the drone and ground robot will use to navigate and assign barcode data to the corresponding pallet locations.
According to Knowles, the drone can also autonomously navigate warehouse environments, even in low-light or complete darkness.
The drone is fully autonomous and able to operate for up to 5.5 hours continuously, during which time it can visit and scan between 2,500 and 3,000 individual pallet locations.
Compared to manual operations estimated to handle 40-60 locations per hour, the drone system can scan between 400-500 locations in the same time period, all without the need for material handling equipment (MHE) or human labour.
The company explained It can additionally support GS1 barcode types and is well-suited for managing inventory that requires detailed tracking, allowing Knowles to prioritise their product picks that are close to expiring.
Joe Waldron, RAWview Director of Integrations said: "The implementation of the inventAIRy XL autonomous drone solution is a testament to what can be achieved with a forward-thinking approach.
"At RAWview, we take great pride in delivering cutting-edge automation technologies and enjoy working with partners who are eager to push boundaries. We look forward to continuing our successful collaboration with Knowles."