Spark & Air NZ Deploy New Zealand’s First Private 5G for Warehouse Robots

Spark and Air New Zealand have worked to develop New Zealand's first private 5G network for business. The network enables a drone connected to a ground robot to carry out stocktaking, increasing productivity.

This trial is taking place at Air New Zealand’s logistics warehouse at Auckland Airport, with hopes it will introduce efficiencies and streamline processes. The warehouse holds hundreds of items ranging from aircraft spare parts to passenger supplies like blankets and headphones. Stocktakes were taking place twice a year at the 5,000 square metre facility.

Spark's 5G technology allows a drone tethered to an autonomous ground robot to operate on Air New Zealand's private network. The single, automated device helps employees with daily stocktakes by scanning barcodes and sending data through to an app. This solution runs on-site for real-time, faster stock identification, by helping employees track stock and assess warehouse space daily, boosting productivity and efficiency. The technology also facilitates a safer workspace, reducing the need for team members to complete stocktakes at up to 15 metres high in the warehouse.

The private network, built with partner Ericsson and its Ericsson Private 5G product, has advantages in this complex work environment, where high shelves and narrow aisles make it difficult to maintain network connectivity and data speeds with standard WiFi.

The stocktaking drone, or Autonomous Mobile Robot, called Captis, from Spark's partner Cypher Robotics in Ottawa, Canada, helps warehouses improve inventory accuracy and efficiency, boosting operational margins. The technology also has the potential to create a digital twin of the warehouse, using data collected from its physical twin to simulate, optimise and analyse warehouse processes, maintenance and other activities and scenarios in real time.

www.spark.co.nz