IKEA launch 100 autonomous drones to its warehouses

Two years ago IKEA began developing a fully autonomous drone solution to track inventory and improve the wellbeing of its co-workers on the floor. The autonomous drone solution was developed by Ingka Group and the Supply Chain Development Team at Inter IKEA Group.

It sees 100 drones at work during non-operational hours to improve stock accuracy and secure availability of products for online of physical retailing. The solution supports a more ergonomic workplace for IKEA co-workers.

The first drone took off in Switzerland in 2021, and the 100 that are operational now are stocking inventory in 16 different locations in Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Italy, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

“We are investing in technology across the board so that our stores can better support customer fulfilment and become true centres for omnichannel retailing. Introducing drones and other advanced tools – such as, for example, robots for picking up goods – is a genuine win-win for everybody. It improves our co-workers’ wellbeing, lowers operational costs, and allows us to become more affordable and convenient for our customers,” says Tolga Öncu, Head of Retail at Ingka Group (IKEA).

“Being at the forefront when it comes to innovative and value adding solutions is part of the IKEA heritage. We are always curious of learning from others and this project is a great example of how we have collaborated across IKEA and together with an external partner come up with a solution that we all benefit from,” says Peter Ac, Head of Innovations in Logistics & Fulfilment, Supply Chain Development, Inter IKEA Group.

It doesn’t stop there. IKEA is known for being an innovative challenger and thinking out of the box. Its approach to innovation has its roots in the IKEA vision: to create a better everyday like for the many people.

These include innovative water recycling showers, more sustainable LED light bulbs, rechargeable batteries, AI for smarter demand forecasting and robotic furniture for small space living.

What’s next?

Warehouse automation isn’t a new thing, and access to data and digital technology is changing the industrial game. Amazon had the vision 10 years ago to enable man and machine to work together in harmony. Now, Amazon has over 520,000 robotic drive units, with teams of roboticists, engineers, software developers and other experts pushing its ambition forward.

Grocert giant Ocado is also using an army of 2,000 robots to pick up over two million food items every day, five times faster than a trained human worker.  Ocado is a pioneering disruptor in the online grocery market, with technical know-how at the heart of its success.

Ingka Group continues to revamp stores across the world, improving their handling capacities and enabling them to shop online orders in a fast, more sustainable and affordable way.

The global industrial automation and control systems market size was valued at $172.26 billion in 2022 and is anticipated to register at a CAGR of 10.5% from 2023 to 2030.