Gather AI is expanding its inventory monitoring automation into the freezer and cold storage warehouse environments.
The Pittsburgh-based software development company’s computer vision technology enables drones to fly autonomously through warehouses with no GPS, WiFi, or infrastructure changes needed. The machine learning algorithm analyzes inventory pictures and reads and interprets far beyond the barcode, including lot codes, text, expiration dates, case counts, and occupancy information.
Warehouse operators can compare their real-time physical inventory with the warehouse management system (WMS) data. Gather AI’s solution scans 10 times faster than traditional means in the freezer environment—up to 900 pallets per hour—and improves inventory accuracy by up to 70%, according to the company.
“Our automated solutions are designed to enhance both employee experience and operational efficiency, helping businesses achieve greater productivity in their facilities,” Sankalp Arora, Gather AI CEO and co-founder, said in a news release. “Our commitment to building flexible, scalable technology has led to this industry-first: Automated inventory monitoring in cold storage and freezer environments.
“With this technical challenge solved, we’re excited to support businesses in meeting heightened inventory counting and accuracy standards, while enabling employees to spend less time on manual tasks in these demanding conditions.”
According to Grand View Research, the U.S. cold storage market size was valued at $40 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $97 billion by 2030. This can be attributed to technological advancements in packaging, processing, and storage of temperature-sensitive items.
In tandem, the rise of e-commerce has accelerated delivery timelines, and warehouse inventory accuracy is more crucial than ever. Traditionally, staff across food and beverage, pharma and healthcare, health and beauty, and chemicals and technology have had to physically cycle count in harsh freezer environments, but now with Gather AI’s industry-first freezer and cold storage capability, drones do the counting, and employees can comfortably view the results from a dashboard away from the cold.
“We use business intelligence solutions like Gather AI to give our life sciences customers total inventory visibility, control, and compliance,” Langham Logistics CEO Cathy Langham said. “After engaging Gather AI in 2022, we went from a 97% accuracy rate to over 99% accuracy. With the expansion into cold storage and freezer locations, we expect the same accuracy gains and up to 10x-faster cycle counts.
“This will improve results for our clients and ultimately get product into the hands of people who need it most—quickly, accurately, and in peak condition.”
Key benefits of Gather AI’s expansion into freezer and cold storage warehouses include:
- Reducing the time staff spends in challenging conditions
- Ensuring FIFO compliance to guarantee inventory freshness
- Monitoring inventory age and expiration dates to reduce waste
- Preventing shrink and reduce mispicks, fulfillment delays, and partial shipments
- Realizing the full benefits of traceability and digital twin visualization
