DHL AUGMENTED REALITY PROJECT FOR CANON INNOVATES THE PICKING PROCESS IN DISTRIBUTION CENTERS

• Based on international testing, DHL Supply Chain started to use augmented reality glasses in the e-commerce of Canon cameras in Brazil
• The tool was fully customized for the project  by solution provider, Ubimax
• Intuitive and easy to use, the glasses streamline the picking process and reduce errors

DHL Supply Chain, the world’s leading contract logistics provider, and Canon, the multinational Company for camera, lens and printers have partnered to bring Brazil one of the most promising technologies for the logistics market: Vision picking with the augmented reality glasses.  The smart glasses are applied in the storage area of Canon's Camera e-Commerce Division in Brazil, which, combined with new system configurations of the Storage Management Software (WMS) and improvements in the operational layout, have provided a 60% reduction in picking time, not to mention the gains in terms of process assertiveness thanks to its more user-friendly interface. The model used is Google Glass Enterprise Edition, running the vision picking software, xPick fully customized for operation by solution provider Ubimax.

The smart glasses, whose testing applied to logistics were initiated by DHL in the Netherlands, are used by four employees simultaneously, in two separate shifts. The devices's lenses show the information of the product to be collected, its location in the warehouse and its right place in the collection cart (please see chart). The products handled are recorded with a ring-shaped scanner, leaving the hands free.

"The equipment is easy to use, visual and intuitive, and it also features other capabilities such as voice activation and the recommendation of best routes within the warehouse. As a result, we have improved our operational efficiency, increased picking accuracy and reduced errors and scanning time while dramatically shortening the training period for employees," says Norton Batista, Director of Operations at DHL Supply Chain.

Innovation is part of a larger project involving the early renewal of DHL's agreement with Canon, the replacement of the management platform, and the almost complete elimination of paper in the warehouse product handling process. DHL provides a wide range of services to Canon including receiving, storing and shipping products, labeling and re-packaging, inventory management, and e-commerce for cameras and spare parts. DHL's Distribution Center stores printers, plotters and their supplies, cameras and other parts.

The project to implement the Augmented Reality Glasses was launched in December, 2018, with the development of the hardware and the interface in Portuguese. The first tests were carried out in February and March, 2019, and the equipment was up and running in full operation by April 2019.

"We plan to expand the Glasses usage for other Canon product lines in Brazil, especially to facilitate the cyclical inventory counting. In addition, this technology has a lot of potential in Brazil and we are currently discussing it with other companies that have already shown interest," adds Norton Batista.