Proximus, ID2Move, Phoenix-Tech and subsidiary Proximus Ada, and Deltrian International have announced a new project to use drones, 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI) to improve warehouse management in Wallonia. The project, which is being funded by the Walloon government, will see a drone equipped with 5G and AI technology fly autonomously through a covered storage warehouse at ID2Move's premises in Nivelles.
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According to the announcement, the drone will use the 5G connection to transmit real-time information about the warehouse's inventory to Deltrian International's stock manager. The AI technology will be used to identify the different products in the warehouse and their location.
Motivation Behind the Project
The announcement highlighted that in industrial environments, monitoring stock levels in real-time and optimizing locations is challenging. This is especially true for Deltrian International, a company specializing in air filtration.
Due to tedious operations, Deltrian International employees often spend a significant amount of time locating and retrieving products, verifying their correspondence with the correct part numbers, and recording stock issues or receipts. The official statement stated that this scenario led to the creation of the project.
The technology partners have developed a solution that will, for the first time, enable a drone to fly autonomously in a covered storage warehouse, allowing for the transmission of real-time information using the 5G network. The statement said this development will result in increased productivity, expanded storage space, and enhanced stock reliability.
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Technology Partner Roles
Proximus will establish secure 5G coverage, with Proximus Ada providing Machine Learning algorithms, Phoenix-Tech supplying the drone, and ID2Move coordinating the project, enabling the solution to be tested in an environment identical to Deltrian's warehouse but scaled-down and without interfering with its day-to-day activities.
Initial Testing
The project will first be tested at ID2Move's storage area in Nivelles before being deployed on a larger scale at Deltrian International's 15,000 square metre warehouses in Fleurus. The ultimate goal, as stated by the Proximus statement, is to make this solution available to other companies in Wallonia and throughout Belgium.
