RFID autonomous robot for product inventory and location

A solution for the automation of inventory taking and location of prod-ucts in a store or warehouse is presented. Radio Frequency Identifica-tion (RFID), an automatic identification technology, and mobile robotics are combined in the design of an inventory robot. The navigation of the robot is commanded by an algorithm that takes as input the progress of new identifications. Such algorithm is essential for the robot to deliver an accuracy higher than 99% and for an optimal inventory duration. An interface for the interaction with the robot and a set of procedures for its operation are implemented. The location of items is implemented using two different approaches. The first approach applies clustering to streams of identifications and assigns the known location of a reference item to all the members of a cluster. The second approach applies Bayesian Re-cursive Estimation after the computation of an identification model. A methodology for the assessment is proposed and the data set generated for the analysis shared openly. Inventory accuracy and location are as-sessed in real scenarios. The proposed solution is demonstrated valuable and ready for the market.Es presenta una solució per a l'automatizació de l'inventari i la localització dels productes de tendes i magatzems. Radio Frequecy Identification (RFID), una tecnologia d'identificació automàtica, i la robòtica mòbil es combinen per dissenyar un robot per a inventaris. La navegació del robot està comandada per un algoritme que escolta el progrés de les noves identificacions. L'algoritme és essencial per tal que el robot obtingui una exactitud superior al 99% i per tal que la duració de l'inventari sigui òptima. S'implementen una interfície d'interacció i el conjunt de procediments necessaris per a operar amb el robot. La localització dels productes s'aborda de dues maneres. La primera consisteix en aplicar clústering a les cadenes d'identificacions dels productes i després assignar la localitzacio coneguda d'un producte de referència a tots els membres del clúster. El segon mètode de localització consisteix en aplicar Bayesian Recursive Estimation després d'haver computat un model d'identificació. Es proposa una metodolgia per a l'avaluació dels inventaris i el dataset generat per a l'anàlisi és compartit obertament. L'exactitud dels inventaris i la localització s'avaluen en escenaris reals. Es demostra que la solució proposada és de valor i està llesta per entrar al mercat

Stock visibility for retail using an RFID robot

Purpose - The combination of the latest advancements in Information and Communication Technolo- gies (ICT) with the latest developments in AutoID technologies, especially Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), brings the possibility of high-resolution, item-level visibility of the entire supply chain. In the particular case of retail, visibility of both the stock count and item location in the shop oor is crucial not only for an effective management of the retail supply chain, but also for physical retail stores to compete with on-line retailers. We propose an autonomous robot that can perform stock-taking using RFID for item level identification much more accurately and efficiently than the traditional method of using human operators with RFID handheld readers. Design/methodology/approach - This work follows the design science methodology. The article highlights a required improvement for an RFID inventory robot. The design hypothesis leads to a novel algorithm. Then the cycle of development and evaluation is iterated several times. Finally, conclusions are derived and a new basis for further development is provided. Findings - An autonomous robot for stock-taking is proven feasible. By applying a proper navigation strategy, coupled to the stream of identifications, the accuracy, precision, consistency and time to complete stock-taking are significantly better than doing the same task manually. Research limitations/implications - The main limitation of this work is the unavailability of data to analyse the actual impact on the correction of Inventory Record Inaccuracy (IRI) and its subsequent implications for supply chain management. Nonetheless, it is shown that figures of actual stock-tacking procedures can be significantly improved. Originality/value - This paper discloses the potential of deploying an inventory robot in the supply chain. The robot is called to be a key source of inventory data conforming item-level, high-resolution supply chain management and omnichannel retail. Theoretical/scientific contribution - The paper shows that a fully automated inventory process with an accuracy above 99% is possible combining RFID and autonomous robot technologies. Managerial contribution - This paper shows the managers of traditional retail chains how they can obtain in a cost-effective way a high resolution visibility of the stock in the retail oor. This visibility is necessary in order to both manage the supply chain more efficiently, and to implement the omnichannel processes necessary to remain competitive with respect to on-line retailers

Autonomous stock counting based on a stigmergic algorithm for multi-robot systems

Maintaining an accurate and close to real time inventory of items is crucial for an efficient Supply Chain Management (SCM), which is one of the main pillars of successful business decisions in the retail market. Due to theft and misplacement, perpetual inventory systems are not enough for having an accurate picture of the current inventory. However, even if the retailer has implemented an RFID-based solution, manual inventories using handheld RFID readers tend to be tedious, expensive and inaccurate. Therefore, a solution that can autonomously take inventories with high accuracy is expected to have a great impact in the market. One of the most promising possibilities of automatic inventories are inventory RFID-based robots. However, current inventory robots are not yet fully autonomous. This article proposes a fully autonomous solution for an inventory robot that, in addition, can be implemented in very simple robots reducing its cost and therefore its entrance barrier. The article first defines the problem of stock counting and a solution based on a multi-robot system is proposed. The algorithm developed determines the state of the problem using the same RFID tags that retailers add to their items, so they can guide the robot through a complete stock counting task. Simulation and tests in a real environment, a university library, validate the developed algorithm and its application for multi-robot systems obtaining accuracy figures as high as 99.5% of accuracy.Co-funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness under the María de Maeztu Units of Excellence Program (MDM-2015-0502

Development of an RFID Inventory Robot (AdvanRobot)

AdvanRobot proposes a new robot for inventorying and locating all the products inside a retail store without the need of installing any fixed infrastructure. The patent pending robot combines a laser-guided autonomous robotic base with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) payload composed of several RFID readers and antennas, as well as a 3D camera. AdvanRobot is able not only to replace human operators, but to dramatically increase the efficiency and accuracy in providing inventory, while also adding the capacity to produce store maps and product location. Some important benefit of the inventory capabilities of AdvanRobot are the reduction in stock-outs, which can cause a drop in sales and are the most important source of frustration for customers; the reduction of the number of items per reference maximizing the number of references per square meter; and reducing the cost of capital due to over-stocking [1, 7]. Another important economic benefit expected from the inventorying and location capabilities of the robot is the ability to efficiently prepare on-line orders from the closest store to the customer, allowing retailers to compete with the likes of Amazon (a.k.a. omnichannel retail). Additionally, the robot enables to: produce a 3D model of the store; detect misplaced items; and assist customers and staff in finding products (wayfinding)

Development of an RFID Inventory Robot (AdvanRobot)

AdvanRobot proposes a new robot for inventorying and locating all the products inside a retail store without the need of installing any fixed infrastructure. The patent pending robot combines a laser-guided autonomous robotic base with a Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) payload composed of several RFID readers and antennas, as well as a 3D camera. AdvanRobot is able not only to replace human operators, but to dramatically increase the efficiency and accuracy in providing inventory, while also adding the capacity to produce store maps and product location. Some important benefit of the inventory capabilities of AdvanRobot are the reduction in stock-outs, which can cause a drop in sales and are the most important source of frustration for customers; the reduction of the number of items per reference maximizing the number of references per square meter; and reducing the cost of capital due to over-stocking [1, 7]. Another important economic benefit expected from the inventorying and location capabilities of the robot is the ability to efficiently prepare on-line orders from the closest store to the customer, allowing retailers to compete with the likes of Amazon (a.k.a. omnichannel retail). Additionally, the robot enables to: produce a 3D model of the store; detect misplaced items; and assist customers and staff in finding products (wayfinding)