Remember those frustrating trips to stores only to find the perfect bookshelf or side table was perpetually out of stock? Well, IKEA has the solution: Warehouse drones.
The Swedish furniture giant is unleashing a swarm of AI-powered warehouse drones, and it might just change the way we shop.
IKEA’s AI-powered warehouse drones
IKEA’s latest innovation doesn’t come in a flat pack. Instead, it arrives with propellers and a hefty dose of artificial intelligence. This comes after a successful year-long test run in Belgium.
The furniture giant is now ready to let these high-tech helpers loose in more locations. What started as a lone drone buzzing around Switzerland in 2021 has now expanded into a fleet of over 250 mechanical scouts.
Video credit: Ingka Group and IKEA
These drones were gradually spread across 73 locations in nine countries. The drones aren’t flying blind, either. They are equipped with algorithms capable of identifying and photographing product locations – without crashing into obstacles.
Beyond the IKEA drone zone
While IKEA might be making headlines, it is not the only retail giant with its head in the clouds, so to speak. Amazon obtained permission to fly BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) drones in June, but has recently hit a snag.
BVLOS means a drone can fly beyond the remote pilot’s line of sight. The pilot is trained to rely on instruments and technology to control the drone. The hold-up with Amazon’s Texas roll-out? The community is complaining about noise pollution.
Walmart began expanding its fleet of inventory drones back in 2016 and has completed more than 20,000 safe drone deliveries since then.
Earlier this year, the retail giant said its drone delivery service will expand to more than 1.8 million more homes in Dallas Fort-Worth, Texas, USA.
Will warehouse drones replace human workers?
While there is a growing concern that automation would replace warehouse workers, these drones are a blessing in disguise for IKEA’s human staff.
Thanks to their buzzing co-workers, the human workers no longer have to scale ladders or play Twister to reach that last box on the top shelf. Instead, employees can focus on other, less dangerous aspects of their jobs.
As for replacing human workers, a 2020 report from the World Economic Forum claims robotics and automation could displace 85 million jobs by 2025.
But before uniquely-human anxiety about ‘robots stealing our jobs’ sets in, the report further states that robotics and automation will also create 97 million new jobs.
NOW READ: The truth about warehouse automation and employment
Image credit: Ingka Group and IKEA
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About the author
Cheryl has contributed to various international publications, with a fervor for data and technology. She explores the intersection of emerging tech trends with logistics, focusing on how digital innovations are reshaping industries on a global scale. When she's not dissecting the latest developments in AI-driven innovation and digital solutions, Cheryl can be found gaming, kickboxing, or navigating the novel niches of consumer gadgetry.
