October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. Last week, Gather AI announced a new customer, Bosma Enterprises, which said it is Indiana’s largest employer of people who are blind or visually impaired. Bosma has implemented the Gather AI drone inventory system in its warehouse to enhance warehouse productivity and efficiency.
“Gather AI helps with maintaining inventory accuracy throughout the year,” stated Jeffrey Mittman, president and CEO of Bosma. “I’m excited to be able to have this new technology available for employees that creates the opportunity for diverse jobs within our company.”
Bosma provides warehousing, contract packaging, light manufacturing, product assembly, and other business services. The Indianapolis-based company also offers offers rehabilitation services, job training, and employment programs to people experiencing vision loss.
Gather AI develops system for ease of use
Seventy percent of Americans who are blind or visually impaired are not employed. With a staff that is more than 50% blind or visually impaired, Bosma needed a system that could work with all of its employees’ needs.
Gather AI said it designed its systems to be intuitive to use.
“We aim to make our solution as easy as possible to use. Warehouses today are already under pressure due to various factors including supply chain delays, staff turnover, and more,” said Sankalp Arora, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO of Gather AI. “It’s an honor to be working with Bosma and supporting their mission.”
Carnegie Mellon University alumni Arora, Daniel Maturana, and Geetesh Dubey founded Gather AI in 2017. The Pittsburgh-based developer of supply chain artificial intelligence aims to decrease the cost of inventory, improve productivity, and boost revenue.
The company said its system is currently deployed in warehouses across third-party logistics (3PL), retail distribution, manufacturing, food and beverage, and air cargo. Gather AI’s customers include GEODIS, NFI Industries, Emirates Airlines, and Barrett Distribution.
Drones and AI to improve inventory
Gather AI said its system automates manual inventory processes and data analysis. It does this through the use of autonomous drones and advanced computer vision technology.
AI software enables the company’s drones to fly autonomously through warehouses. They don’t need any GPS, Wi-Fi, or infrastructure changes to operate, according to Gather AI.
Machine learning algorithms analyze inventory pictures and read and interpret barcodes, lot codes, text, expiration dates, case counts, and occupancy information.
This data is exactly what warehouse operators need in order to compare the real-time physical inventory with what is digitally stored in the warehouse management system (WMS). This system scans on average 15 times faster than traditional means and can improve inventory accuracy by 66%, claimed Gather AI.
Bosma staffers gain access with Gather AI
Now, any Bosma employee trained to use the technology can participate in the cycle counting and inventory management processes, as Gather AI’s accessible system contains voiceover and screen magnification capabilities.
The voiceover function allows the operator to hear the commands necessary to set up a drone mission, launch the drone, and land the drone if necessary. Gather AI said its drone flight automation takes care of the rest.
“Technology can fill the gap when someone loses their vision,” said Mittman. “The drones are a perfect example of technology making the overall process effective for everyone and are accessible to someone who is blind. Gather AI allows Bosma to create new skills and employment opportunities.”