Kroger deployed Corvus One for Cold Chain drones across its ambient and sub-freezing cold chain distribution operations, Andrew Burer, head of marketing at Corvus Robotics, told sister site Supply Chain Dive in an email.
The drones, which are supplied by Corvus Robotics, autonomously scan pallet locations across freezer zones, enabling weekly inventory visibility across the facility instead of relying on full physical counts, Burer said. They help with a variety of applications, such as best practices like first in, first out.
“For cold chain operations in particular, this reduces the need for associates to perform manual counts in sub-freezing environments while improving shrink control, FIFO compliance, and data reliability for short shelf-life goods,” Burer said.
Corvus One drones do not require infrastructure modifications and can tap directly into existing warehouse systems, Burer said. The drones, which can handle freezer environments down to minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit, can also operate without WiFi, localization markers, lighting modifications, special barcodes or a human operator, according to the Corvus Robotics website.
He further noted that Corvus One has been working with Kroger “across multiple phases, progressing from initial validation into operational deployment.”
Buren was unable to comment on which Kroger warehouses are using the inventory drones, the fleet size per site or long-term rollout timelines.
Warehouse drones have been gaining momentum as inventory visibility and accuracy become a bigger priority in supply chain operations.
In 2023, for instance, ocean shipping giant Maersk deployed Verity drones to help shippers better track inventory. Sportswear brand On also partnered with Verity to bring real-time inventory tracking to its warehouses and stock management operations, as well as UPS in a bid to streamline inventory processes.
Corvus Robotics also offers non-cold chain drones, which are leveraged by brands such as Asics, ArmorAll and GNC, according to the company's website.
