Low disruption, Unlocking Efficiency, and Unparalleled Agility: The Value of Verity’s Lightweight Inventory Drones
26 June 2024
Lightweight inventory drones from Verity provide 3PLs, manufacturers, and retailers with enhanced warehouse efficiency, scalability, and sustainability. A key component of Verity’s comprehensive, integrated inventory management system, the drones deliver immediate benefits and promise significant growth potential over their unlimited lifespan.
The most lightweight inventory management solution available today.
Weighing in at less than 2 pounds, Verity’s drones can be easily deployed across many locations without the logistical challenges associated with transporting and setting up large machinery. This scalability allows users to adapt quickly to changing operational demands and the transition to taller, denser warehouses. And because the drones themselves and the sensors they carry are becoming increasingly lighter, the total cost of ownership is significantly lower compared to large, inflexible equipment.
Unlike adapted off-the-shelf drones, Verity’s drones are purpose-built to accommodate the unique requirements of inventory tracking in large warehouses. In contrast to heavy automation equipment that requires costly infrastructure modifications (reinforced floors, wider aisles, expanded storage space, etc.), lightweight drones can be deployed in existing warehouse setups without significant changes, saving time, resources, and budget. When mounted at height, they eliminate the need to use valuable floorspace. Key benefits include:
- Intelligent and efficient inventory operations: Checking inventory needs to be smart, regardless of the solution used to do so, with a lightweight, intelligent system that is able to target and scan what’s necessary to correct issues and maintain a pristine warehousing operation, targeting moved locations and maximizing the value of the data collected.
- Extremely high reliability. With very few moving parts, there is limited potential for breakdowns. In the rare case when a replacement is needed, Verity’s small ‘drone in a box’ can be easily shipped overnight to arrive at the warehouse in time for the next inventory count—anywhere in the world, at no cost to the user.
- On-board software. A portion of Verity’s sophisticated software resides directly on the drones to support system-wide communication and ensure successful completion of each scheduled mission, as well as hassle-free system upgrades.
- Flexible navigation. The size of the drones supports superior maneuverability to conduct counts at anytime, anywhere, deftly maneuvering where traditional heavy equipment struggles, including through very narrow aisles and dense racking configurations.
- Scalable, high-frequency scheduling. Peak seasons and planned promotions accelerate product movements and require more frequent counts for retailers, while 3PLs must adjust to their customers’ requirements. In these cases and more, Verity enables complete flexibility in scanning scheduling as needed to optimize use and insights.
- Energy efficient. Able to operate in complete darkness and requiring only a standard electrical outlet to charge, the Verity drones consume a mere fraction of the energy needed to power heavier drones or large, automated machinery. The potential CO2 savings is equivalent to taking up to 1,000 cars off the road per average warehouse.
Lightweight drones enable cost-effective innovation
The most lightweight inventory tracking system available today, Verity is quickly and constantly getting smaller and lighter. In contrast, heavy, ground-based solutions that use large equipment require aisles to be clear wherever counts are needed. In the event of a heavy equipment breakdown, the potential for operational disruptions is exacerbated by the need for on-site repairs, long replacement lead times, and aisles that may be blocked indefinitely.
Our continued development of lightweight drone technology is aimed at supporting more cost-effective solutions and a wider range of use cases. Already, the drones are used to automatically update warehouse maps when racking is added, removed, or reconfigured. As lighter drones make anytime, anywhere sensing possible, additional use cases include damage detection, pinpointing the source of errors based on discrepancy history, RFID sensing, counting items at picking locations, and counting products on mixed pallets holding multiple types of articles.
To meet the needs of clients operating 24/7 warehouses, Verity can also be used any time, day or night, even while staff are working in the warehouse. This continuous operation allows for unlimited inventory tracking, crucial for warehouses with limited off hours or those storing high-turnover or high-value goods. Using the system in collaboration mode enhances teamwork and coordination among warehouse staff—without creating any negative impact on productivity or overall operations.
Verity’s lightweight inventory drones significantly enhance the value proposition of automation for 3PLs, manufacturers, and retailers looking to automate inventory counting in large warehouses. By offering a new standard for agility, reduced operational costs, and rapid development, Verity is paving a faster, easier path forward for organizations striving to optimize their inventory management processes both now and in the future.