After a successful year of testing at its distribution centre in Winterslag, Belgium, Ikea is rolling out Swiss manufacturer Verity’s AI drones for stocktaking to more locations. The autonomous drones take the stock of Ikea’s stores and distribution centres. Last year, selected stores used the drones only outside of the opening hours, as The Retail Optimiser reported. The furniture retailer has announced that the technology will now be operating alongside employees around the clock.
The implementation of the drones increases Ikea’s operational efficiency by automating physically demanding and time-consuming inventory tasks. It frees up staff to focus on the in-store customer experience and provides the retailer with faster, more precise and accurate inventory management. By allowing inventory checks to be carried out simultaneously, the technology eliminates the need to block aisles and disrupt workflows.
In 2021, Ikea began working together with Verity to develop a fully autonomous drone solution for its sites. The first drone was deployed by Ikea Switzerland. Today more than 250 drones are operating across 73 locations, in nine countries. The automated drones use an artificial intelligence-based algorithm to identify and photograph product storage locations. Each drone flight is pre-scheduled and programmed to navigate to higher levels of the warehouse. Equipped with obstacle detection capabilities, the drones avoid collisions by rerouting paths.
Roll out in Europe and North America
Ikea plans to expand the solution further in Europe and North America, starting with its Perryville distribution centre in the US, where installation began this summer. The furniture retailer is also working on upgrading the technology with new functionalities. In the future, Ikea wants to explore unit loads and rack inspection capabilities, as well as improve the analytics and insights components of the solution.
The automated drones also contribute to employees’ well-being by taking over physically demanding tasks. With the solution the staff can avoid the physical toll of repetitive tasks, improving both job satisfaction and long-term health. The new systems are also trained with safety features to ensure that all the facilities operate safely and efficiently.
