Verity, On, Maersk Pilot RFID

Verity, On, and Maersk will pilot RFID technology with autonomous drones in a warehouse inventory management project.

Verity has collaborated with On and Maersk in a pilot project to bridge the gap between the physical and digital supply chain environments by augmenting Verity’s autonomous inventory tracking system with radio frequency identification (RFID) capabilities.

The pilot explores the potential of RFID technology and autonomous drones to enhance inventory visibility in one of On’s warehouses.

Verity, On, and Maersk shared a vision for this project: to enhance inventory visibility in supply chain to unprecedented levels, near operational omniscience. The fusion of RFID, AI, and fully autonomous embodied AI agents for inventory tracking is addressing long-standing visibility challenges and creating fully transparent and efficient operations for operators and retailers alike.

Verity’s AI-driven, vision-based system delivers high-value inventory insights in more than 100 warehouses globally, in collaboration with various warehousing operators. With agile drones, unmatched reliability, and seamless scalability, Verity advances inventory methodologies. One limitation, however, has been tracking inventory beyond line of sight—until now.

By integrating RFID, Verity extends its vision inside and beyond boxes, enabling precise tracking and identification of individual items, such as products and packages, at every stage of the warehouse lifecycle, realizing the promise of a true warehouse digital twin.

The Verity drones, augmented with RFID, autonomously navigate warehouse aisles, scanning RFID tags with over 99.9% accuracy at rates of up to 1,000 tags/items per second. The system enables seamless and efficient RFID tracking throughout warehouses without the need to redirect workflows, overcoming the challenges of traditional methods.

Traditional RFID systems, though commonly used for traceability, face notable challenges in warehouse environments. To remain scalable, RFID tags or other passive emitters must stay inexpensive, which limits their range. This constraint necessitates readers to operate within close proximity, leading to the widespread adoption of bottleneck solutions such as gates. In the fast-moving world of supply chains and warehousing, true visibility requires a mobile, agile, and autonomous reader—something Verity has delivered in the pilot with On and Maersk.

“On is an innovation company at heart, and we are excited to push the boundaries of what’s possible in logistics through this pilot project with Verity and Maersk,” said On co-founder Caspar Coppetti.

“This exploration of cutting-edge solutions allowed us to test and evaluate new ways to enhance efficiency and transparency in our supply chain”.

Maersk is an integrated logistics company working to connect and simplify its customers’ supply chains.

Key testing milestones

To date, the collaboration between Verity, On, and Maersk to test the RFID-enabled embodied AI has achieved several significant milestones:

• The tests were conducted at a Maersk facility in California to evaluate the system in a high-volume, real-world warehouse environment.
• The testing phase spanned three months to validate the system’s performance for client-specific and wall-to-wall inventory counts.
• Over 1,500 flights completed during the testing period.
• More than 80 million RFID reads performed, covering approximately 1.25 million individual tags.

“At Maersk, we are committed to leveraging advancements in logistics through cutting-edge technology,” said Jason Walker, Head of Maersk Contract Logistics, North America. “The exploration of RFID-enabled drones in our warehouses is a testament to our dedication to innovation and operational excellence. Importantly, this technology enhances the capabilities of our team, empowering them to focus on more strategic tasks and drive continuous improvement”

The early use of the new, RFID-augmented Verity system has uncovered the following integration for this technology in warehouse operations. The system is able to detect tags at a rapid rate, with an estimated productized reading speed of up to 1,000 tags/items per second. This allows for precise identification of each item with a 99.9% success rate. Furthermore, the technology enables Verity to precisely localize each tag in the warehouse. This unlocks the tracking of items throughout the warehouse lifecycle, opening visibility capabilities that are unheard of.

An innovative approach for continuous improvement in operations

Integrating RFID technology into autonomous inventory operations is a significant step for Verity toward creating a comprehensive, data-agnostic intelligence system for warehouses. This innovation provides clients with a holistic view of inventory management, delivering unparalleled insights and control.

“By fusing AI, autonomous data collection at scale, and RFID, we are bridging the gap between the digital and physical worlds to deliver complete visibility across supply chains,” said Verity CEO Raffaello D’Andrea.