The efficient management of logistics and shipping operations relies on the smooth coordination of multiple tasks, including warehouse operations, product & parcel tracking, and workplace safety, all in a dynamic environment. To achieve these goals, logistics and shipping centers can leverage the power of edge computing, an innovative technology that optimizes data processing and provides a safer workplace while respecting workers’ privacy and anonymity.
Real-time tracking and monitoring for enhanced safety
In any complex working environment, the safety of workers is of fundamental importance. By deploying edge devices and sensors in strategic locations throughout the workplace, warehouses and centers can process data on worker movements, safety compliance, environmental conditions, risky behavior, and potential hazards in real-time.
With edge computing, this data can be processed close to the action, reducing latency and minimizing the reliance on cloud or centralized servers. By utilizing advanced analytics and machine learning algorithms at the edge, safety issues, such as collisions, falls, or hazardous maneuvers, can be identified and frontline workers alerted in real-time. This proactive approach to safety can mitigate accidents, ensuring the well-being of workers. Meanwhile, it is of essential importance not to use these tools to discriminate against workers. This is why data anonymization is a key element of this type of solution. The aim is to spot, understand and correct potential issues, while protecting workers’ privacy.
In addition, this data can later be retrieved and analyzed. This helps, for example, to determine the root cause of accidents and inform future workplace planning.
Efficient asset tracking for process optimization
Effective asset tracking is vital to maintaining the smooth flow of goods within logistics and shipping centers. By equipping centers with edge computing devices connected to camera sensors, it is possible to:
- Efficiently track unique assets, using label character recognition, across zones.
- Count and categorize assets within defined zones.
- Identify and count trolleys and carts.
- Distinguish between loaded and unloaded assets (e.g. empty or loaded containers or trolleys).
Edge devices do this by communicating with nearby sensors, such as standard cameras, to provide accurate information on the asset’s position, location, status, load charge, and much more. This data is gathered regardless of the lighting or weather conditions, both during day and night, and for both stationery and mobile assets. This information can then be used to interface with inventory systems and streamline logistics operations. Managers can then quickly identify the whereabouts of assets, ensuring efficient product flow, reducing search time, and minimizing disruptions to the supply chain.
Maintaining privacy and anonymity
While harnessing technology to optimize logistics operations, it is essential to address concerns related to data privacy and identity of individuals. Edge computing offers a decentralized approach that ensures the protection of sensitive information, such as personal data and worker identity.
By processing data at the edge, logistics and shipping centers can eliminate the transmission of personal information to the cloud or centralized servers. This can be efficiently implemented using established techniques such as tokenization. This works by replacing personally identifiable information (PII) with unique tokens, so that the operations remain efficient while maintaining anonymous identity of workers.
In conclusion, edge computing emerges as a game-changer in revolutionizing the logistics and shipping industry, by ensuring worker safety, efficient asset tracking, and anonymous identity. Real-time tracking and monitoring systems powered by edge computing protect warehouse workers by proactively identifying safety risks. Efficient asset tracking enhances logistics operations, minimizing delays and disruptions.
At the same time, edge computing addresses privacy concerns by processing data locally, employing privacy-preserving techniques, and enabling anonymous identity management. By striking a balance between operational efficiency and data protection, logistics and shipping organizations can build trust with workers and comply with privacy regulations.
In many cases, these practices require technical knowledge, training, and specialized personnel able to run such a digital ecosystem. Nuvla.io from SixSq was created for you not to worry about all this. Nuvla.io is a gateway to a world of tailored apps, in a unique edge-first marketplace that serves a multitude of industries and sectors. All backed by a team of edge experts. We dedicate our efforts to providing a simple interface and enjoyable user experience, which allows anyone to operate otherwise complex edge computing systems, and at the same time avoid technology lock-in.
To deep dive into more tangible elements linked to your needs, visit our webpages and reach out to learn how we can support your logistics and shipping transition with innovative problem solving via edge computing.
