Emerging Technology: Wearables
You may have heard the term ‘wearable’ before. Sure, it was probably referring to a FitBit – which has no practical application to the logistics industry. A wearable refers to a piece of technology that is not held by its user, but rather worn. The purpose of a wearable, generally, is to make its user’s life/job easier. With that definition, you can see how a wearable scanner, for example, could be of use to our industry.
Here’s a bit more information on wearables:
- Wearables in the supply chain serve to improve worker efficiency and make communication more seamless.
- Wearables today are full of smart sensors and connected to the web (part of the Internet of Things).
Uses in the warehouse
Perhaps the most useful of wearables in the supply chain is in the warehouse. You could use a scanner glove, like Audi does in their car manufacturing plants. Audi uses the “ProGlove,” which allows warehouse workers to scan without holding a scanner, thus freeing up both hands and removing the steps of picking up and putting down a handheld scanner to do the aspects of their jobs that don’t require the scanner.
Another practical application of wearables in the warehouse is a pair of optical lens, just like the Google Glass. A digital eyewear can serve to provide a method in which augmented reality is provided to the user or to provide a worker with information in real-time, without disrupting the worker. For example, workers could receive status updates on a package without having to manually search up a specific order. Digital eyewear – once it is cheaper – will replace items like the ProGlove, as the eyewear will likely be able to read barcodes on a package and then instantaneously provide information.
With wearables, picking and packing is more efficient and effective.
It’s only a matter of time until wearables become cheap enough so that they can be rolled out to all employees of the average small/medium business. When this rollout happens, the industry will see productivity and profitability boosts.
Enlist ADLI Logistics to manage your freight shipping, warehousing, and distribution needs. For more information fill out our contact form or call 1-877-363-7281.
