STAR

Overview

Scanning Tags in Augmented Reality (STAR) aims to be the default tool for completing cycle counts in any dynamic environment. STAR features a two-part design aimed to provide value to both users performing cycle counts and those reviewing and improving the cycle count process. The AR segment of STAR gives cycle count operators accurate location-based feedback, which has been a missing piece of the puzzle since RFID’s inception. With positional and temporal data collected during runtime, anyone can review cycle counts and verify accuracy from the Web Dashboard. STAR is the next innovation in the supply chain and logistics industry, bringing inventory management one step closer to the future.

Augmented Reality Client

For a cycle counter operator, there has never been a solid source of feedback for what items were scanned, and more importantly, where items were scanned. This is a major point of friction for operators, which may result in poor cycle counts, missed items, and redundant labor. STAR solves this with AR by providing users with clear visual representations of tags that they can see in real time. These spatial holograms provide instant feedback to operators, which allows them to complete the cycle count more efficiently.

Web Dashboard

The other half of STAR is focused on providing insightful tools to review completed cycle counts. Using tracking technology, the operator’s path and scanner position is recorded and displayed on the dashboard, and can be played as a video. A heatmap of scanner coverage is generated in real time as the path is displayed, painting a clear picture of what the RFID reader covered or missed. A full list of all scanned items is presented and can be viewed as individual items, grouped as products, or viewed on a site level. This dashboard builds a complete story that gives users unprecedented visibility and the crucial confidence required in their decision-making process.

Data Pipeline

Another problem with cycle counting is how the data is absorbed and presented to the user during a scan. Typical solutions might only provide individual Electronic Product Codes (EPCs), which leaves the operator blind to the context of their environment. STAR provides a solution to this issue with real-time EPC decoding: Once an EPC is read by the RFID reader, it is instantly decoded into a Universal Product Code (UPC) and mapped to a description and location. This information allows viewing scanned items at a product or site level, rather than an individual level, and provides meaning and context to the items that were scanned.

Conclusion

STAR aims to be the default tool for cycle counting in dynamic environments and does so by providing innovative solutions to common problems in the field. First, the AR interface has the potential to improve cycle counts by utilizing real-time holograms to guide users. Next, the backend pipeline transforms raw spatial and RFID data into a comprehensive web dashboard, giving unprecedented visibility to correct inefficient scan paths. Finally, on-the-fly EPC translation eliminates the need for static, hard-coded product lists. Together, these features transform cycle counting from an opaque task into an accurate, fully transparant process.

Demonstrational Video