Warehouse 4.0: Smart tech brings transparency to global supply chain

Who are you wearing?

Perhaps no other Warehouse 4.0 technology better embodies the blending of human and machine than augmented reality (AR) glasses. This technology enables workers to see the real-world workspace normally, but also view a heads-up display on a wearable piece of technology – often a pair of slightly oversized eyeglasses – showing a pick list and the shortest possible routes to each object, saving the worker the time and effort of looking up the information on a tablet (see photo, at right). As workers turn their heads, the digital display updates movement in real time, indicating where the object and path is in three-dimensional space.

Think of a mashup of Google Glass and the monster-catching Pokémon Go app, and you get the idea.

AR systems are expected to be an $80 billion market by 2020 and are being developed by many tech firms – CastAR, Epson Moverio, Evolar, GlassUp, Knapp and SAP, to name a few – but almost have the same basic elements: a smartglasses display, a camera and a wearable mini-PC and battery pack. The PC unit provides the information from the wi-fi-accessed WMS and the camera can scan bar-coded racks, totes and items for “vision picking” information – all while leaving the worker’s hand free to do simultaneous tasks.

One of the most famous AR tests came from DHL Supply Chain, which began a vision picking project at a Ricoh facility in Bergen op Zoom, the Netherlands, in 2014. Using glasses from Vuzix, workers were able to process warehouse orders 25 percent more efficiently and reduce error rates.

DHL, Vuzix and its partners – Google and software firm Ubimax – are now planning to expand into a “new exploration phase,” deploying AR at warehouses in the U.S., Europe and the U.K., serving the retail, consumer and automotive sectors. “Testing technologies like augmented reality, robotics and the internet-of-things will continue to be a big part of our DNA,” said John Gilbert, CEO of DHL Supply Chain.

An Indian startup called GetVu provides another AR option for 3PLs looking for a technological edge, said Santhosh Chandrasekar, CEO of the Bengaluru-based firm. Its vision-picking glasses, called “PikVu,” were tested in several pilot projects for “some of the largest retailers in the world,” which will soon lead to GetVu’s first commercial deployment.

PikVu, Chandrasekar said, has seen results similar with those of DHL’s glasses – a 25 percent average increase in productivity and a reduction in picker errors. These savings can translate to fewer pickers needed in fulfillment centers and thus reduced budgets required for training costs. “Given the seasonal nature of the business and high attrition rate, training costs are usually very significant,” he added.

Chandrasekar said GetVu has “just scratched the surface in delivering benefits” to workers and clients. In a few years, after analyzing more data, the company may see productivity increases of 45 percent through more efficient, real-time order allocation for pickers. “By accurately predicting the demand using machine learning algorithms,” he added, “we can potentially let the workers have multiple naps during their shifts.” Nice work, if you can get it.