StockBot presentation at RFID Journal Live
If we talk about technologies that are improving labour market, we cannot forget RFID. Radio Frequency Identification has been a ground-breaking step, especially for the retail industry to control inventory. Merging robotics with RFID gives a new dimension to the benefits that this technology offers. That is what we have done in PAL Robotics with StockBot, a robot that autonomously takes inventory in stores every day. PAL Robotics is presenting StockBot in the world’s largest event focused on RFID and related technologies, RFID Journal Live!, held from 3rd to 5th of May in Orlando, Florida.
StockBot automates inventory-taking combining robotics and RFID
StockBot performs autonomous inventory on a daily basis, working at night without needing any supervision. The robot is equipped with several antennas that detect all the RFID-tagged items in the store, while navigating through the corridors. Every morning StockBot provides a report with the products and their physical location.
PAL Robotics has been developing know-how on complex robotic platforms for more than a decade. This valuable understanding of robotics enables PAL Robotics to build service robots that are ready for the real world. StockBot uses the adaptive navigation and autonomous behavior that has been developed and tested for our robots.
What does a robot like StockBot mean for retailers?
StockBot was born with two main purposes:
- Save time and efforts on a repetitive task such as inventory-taking.
- Have updated stock data available to track stock movements and take data-driven decisions accordingly.
Information is power! Having available the data of everything that is in store and its location, updated every day, opens a wide range of possibilities to optimize time and work, and maximize revenue. Misplacements and out-of-stock situations are easily detected and reported. Taking daily inventory that avoids human error also makes stock data trustworthy for shop assistants.
Since StockBot keeps track of its activity, it is easy to add a quality measurement of the inventory, something impossible to perform with handheld devices which are prone to human error. The database generated by StockBot opens Big Data opportunities that can help the retailer to make better data-driven predictions and decisions. All in all, StockBot advantages have a direct impact on the retailer’s revenue and benefits.
Find PAL Robotics and StockBot at booth number 549, in front of the food concessions area. Watch StockBot live demos at RFID Journal Live!
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