{"id":8517,"date":"2024-12-09T09:47:23","date_gmt":"2024-12-09T08:47:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/identpro.de\/?p=8517"},"modified":"2025-06-16T12:42:21","modified_gmt":"2025-06-16T11:42:21","slug":"the-future-of-warehousing-is-scan-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/identpro.de\/en\/tech-blog-en\/the-future-of-warehousing-is-scan-free\/","title":{"rendered":"The Future of Warehousing is \u201cScan-Free\u201d\u00a0\u2013 AI-Driven Tracking with Real-Time Laser Localization\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

High-quality real-time data is the foundation of automated, AI-driven processes in warehousing. Handheld scanners simply can\u2019t deliver: their error rates are too high. To bring AI into intralogistics, the manual scanner must be replaced with cutting-edge solutions. Laser localization and real-time tracking allow Artificial Intelligence to take charge. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Data is the currency of future technologies. Artificial Intelligence (AI) can only optimize warehouse processes when supplied with high-quality, real-time data. Since the first Wrigley\u2019s chewing gum was scanned in a U.S. supermarket in 1954, scanners have been central to capturing data. Barcodes have found their way into intralogistics. They are still an essential part of data collection. \u201cNew scanning innovations such as wearables, scan gates, and imagers are still celebrated by the industry, despite being rooted in decades-old technology,\u201d <\/em>says Martin Welp, Managing Partner at IdentPro, reflecting on this year\u2019s industry events. However, the idea that the future is largely \u201cscan-free\u201d has yet to gain widespread acceptance. Real-time laser localization integrates goods information with geo-positioning, automatically capturing goods movements via sensors mounted on material handling equipment. This promises solutions to pressing warehouse bottlenecks and lays the groundwork for automated data processing in line with lean management principles. <\/p>\n\n\n

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AI Can\u2019t Function on Error-Prone, Manually Collected Data <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Efficient material flows are tightly synchronized. The journey from production machinery to shipping involves complex pathways. The top priority is seamless processes in intralogistics that, from a business perspective, must operate like clockwork: search and empty runs must be avoided, shortages eliminated, and inefficiencies reduced. Errors such as misplaced pallets and faulty scanned barcodes are bottlenecks in warehouses reliant on scanning technology for capturing data. Different storage types\u2014such as racking, block storage, or high-bay warehouses\u2014must be managed, often under significant space constraints. Adding to the challenge is a growing labor shortage, which is projected to worsen in the coming years. \u201cToday, temporary workers and less-qualified staff often operate forklifts equipped with handheld scanners, taking on the critical task of data collection,\u201d <\/em>notes Martin Welp. While handheld scanners offer advantages such as low upfront investment, intuitive usability, and quick integration with existing software solutions, their long-term inefficiencies and high error rates can result in significant costs. AI, dependent on accurate data, cannot automate processes based on flawed, manually collected inputs. <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n\n

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Tracking Warehouse Movements \u201cScan-Free\u201d: Connecting Goods IDs with Geo-Data<\/strong> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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\u201cThe main reason many warehouse operators continue to rely on scanners is that meaningful and urgently needed alternatives haven\u2019t fully penetrated the market,\u201d<\/em> explains Martin Welp. Yet promising developments in line with lean management principles suggest a largely scan-free, automated future for warehousing. Instead of manually capturing every movement within the warehouse, real-time laser localization (RTLS) enables automated, scanner-free tracking of material flows\u2014whether handled by human-driven forklifts or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). <\/p>\n\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Sensors mounted on forklifts, including load and height sensors alongside 2D LiDAR positioning sensors, provide precise location tracking of vehicles and objects within a defined space. This technology automatically detects and records the pickup and drop-off of load units, such as pallets, saving their positions in real time. The software links the load unit ID with its 3D coordinates in a digital twin. These goods are then automatically identified during every movement in the warehouse via a database query\u2014no scanning required. Laser localization seamlessly integrates ERP and Warehouse Management Systems with real-world warehouse activities, creating a virtual representation that is accurate to the second and centimeter.   <\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Advantages of laser localization in intralogistics:   <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n

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