Anika Begay
One of the biggest questions looming over the drone space is how to best utilize the technology. Inspection has become a key factor as autonomous helicopters are deployed in dangerous or remote spaces like power plants and oil rigs. Inventory drones are a promising subset of the category that has emerged in recent years.
Ingka Group, which owns and operates hundreds of Ikea stores that account for about 90% of its retail sales, is perhaps the biggest name embracing the emerging space. It makes sense: The Swedish furniture giant and meatball seller operates massive warehouses stocked with big-ticket items. That’s a lot of ground for humans to cover, and too much vertical space for most robots.
This is the main advantage of systems like the 100 drones that Ikea currently commands across Europe. The small scanning drones can provide round-the-clock inventory updates and reach heights that humans and most robots can’t reach.
The drones, which have been branded with a blue-and-yellow color scheme, an Ikea logo, and the familiar “Hey!” slogan, are made by Verity. The company has been popular with investors, largely due to its partnership with Ikea. The startup raised $32 million in March and another $11 million four months later.
“We are always curious to learn from others and this project is a great example of how we at IKEA have collaborated and, together with an external partner, have come up with a solution that benefits us all,” IKEA Logistics Manager Peter Ac said in a statement.
The Ikea initiative began in 2021 in Verity’s native Switzerland. The drone company provided a solution tailored to the furniture giant’s needs. It now spans 16 locations, with stores in Belgium, Croatia, Slovenia, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Verity may have the highest-profile partnership right now, but it’s not alone in the inventory drone category. Competitors include Corvus Robotics, Gather AI, and Indoor Robotics. There’s also Dexory, which is hitting the high shelves with a massive, telescoping autonomous mobile robot.
