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In the warehousing and logistics industry, with the continuous expansion of business scale and the increasing diversification of customer needs, the traditional warehouse management model faces many challenges, such as chaotic inventory of goods, inefficient equipment scheduling, and difficult personnel management. Bluetooth AOA (Angle-of-Arrival) technology provides an effective solution for building smart warehouses with its advantages of high precision, low power consumption, and low cost.
Bluetooth AOA technology principle
Bluetooth AOA technology is a positioning method based on Bluetooth signals. It uses a single antenna to transmit a direction-finding signal, and the receiving device has a built-in antenna array. When the signal passes, due to the distance difference between the signals received by different antennas in the array, a phase difference is generated, and the direction and position of the signal source can be calculated through relevant algorithms. Specifically, when the transmitting device broadcasts a signal, the signal spreads around in a spherical shape with the antenna as the center. Since the distance between each antenna on the antenna array is small, it can be regarded as a particle compared to the distance from the transmitter to the base station, and the signal reaches each antenna in parallel. Assuming that the signal is transmitted at a certain angle, the phase difference can be obtained by calculating the distance difference between the signal and the antenna, thereby achieving positioning. Positioning based on the signal arrival angle requires more than two base stations to work together. One base station calculates an angle based on the array signal. The transmitter is on a ray with the base station as the center and the angle as the direction. The intersection of the two rays of the two base stations is the transmitter position.
Application of Bluetooth AOA technology in smart warehouses
Real-time dynamic management of goods
Bluetooth AOA technology can accurately grasp the location information of each cargo and realize intelligent management of processes such as warehousing, outbound, movement, inventory, and search. In the warehousing link, the storage location of the goods can be quickly determined through positioning technology, reducing the time for warehousing acceptance. During inventory counting, staff can quickly locate the goods to avoid inventory confusion and inaccurate quantity in the warehouse. During the outbound process, the system can guide staff to accurately find the required goods, reduce picking errors, and improve the speed and accuracy of material circulation. In addition, combined with computer vision technology, it can also quickly locate abnormal goods that are damaged or slide down the slide, and warn of operations such as blockage at the slide entrance and unsmooth transportation. At the same time, the warehouse shelving management is optimized in terms of the rationality of the layout of the shelving operation and the best path for picking, and when the goods are transferred to the sorting center, they can effectively prevent the goods from being sorted to the wrong outlets or sorting centers.
Intelligent scheduling of vehicles and equipment
For storage equipment such as forklifts and trailers, Bluetooth AOA technology can realize intelligent scheduling and path planning. By locating the equipment position in real time, the system can reasonably allocate equipment according to the storage location and task requirements of the goods to improve the utilization efficiency of the equipment. At the same time, by setting a safe distance and electronic fence, it can prevent human-vehicle collision accidents and ensure the safety of warehousing operations. For example, in large logistics warehouses, forklifts are frequently operated. Using Bluetooth AOA technology, the position and driving trajectory of forklifts can be monitored in real time to avoid collisions between forklifts and collisions with personnel.
Efficient personnel management
Using Bluetooth AOA positioning technology, real-time positioning management of warehouse staff can be realized, including attendance, working time statistics, work area management, etc. By optimizing personnel scheduling and operation paths, warehouse operation efficiency can be improved. The system can record the trajectory information of personnel, conduct data analysis on the picking behavior of goods, and continuously optimize the recommended results of picking paths through unsupervised learning. At the same time, through the presentation of personnel heat, it can also assist the managers in the warehouse to make more reasonable human resource layout and do business management such as attendance. In addition, it can also manage the work status of staff members such as arrival and departure, and identify, alarm or pre-prompt for significant position deviation or abnormal operation.
Vehicle management and automation
Carry out positioning management on pallets, material boxes and other carriers that carry goods, and combine with automation equipment to realize automatic picking, etc., to improve the automation level of warehousing operations. In the face of the increasingly widespread application of automation equipment such as AGV, positioning technology can be used to achieve efficient collaboration between AGV and carriers, realize functions such as automatic picking, and further release the value of automation equipment. For example, a positioning micro tag is installed on the smart shelf as a signal receiving end, which receives signals from the positioning micro base station in real time and feedbacks location information. The Bluetooth AOA positioning data is integrated through the warehouse management system to realize the digitalization and visualization management of the warehouse process.
Advantages of Bluetooth AOA technology in creating smart warehouses
High-precision positioning
Bluetooth AOA technology can achieve centimeter-level positioning accuracy, which can meet the warehouse's needs for high-precision positioning of goods, equipment and personnel. Compared with traditional positioning technologies, it can provide more accurate positioning information in complex warehouse environments and reduce the impact of positioning errors.
Low power consumption
The use of BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) technology means that the battery life of transmitters (such as smart devices) is longer. In warehouses, a large number of positioning tags need to work for a long time, and the low power consumption characteristics can reduce the maintenance cost of tags and improve the stability of the system.
Low cost
The deployment cost of Bluetooth AOA technology is relatively low. It does not require large-scale infrastructure construction, but only requires the installation of a certain number of positioning base stations and the provision of positioning tags for goods, equipment and personnel. Compared with positioning technologies such as UWB, Bluetooth AOA positioning terminals are cheaper. In environments with more rooms, such as nursing homes, prisons, detention centers, etc., Bluetooth AOA positioning uses fewer base stations and has more advantages.
Strong compatibility
Most modern smart devices are equipped with Bluetooth functions, and Bluetooth AOA technology is easy to integrate and deploy. It can be seamlessly connected with existing warehouse management systems, automated equipment, etc., to achieve data sharing and interaction, and improve the overall intelligence level of the warehouse.
Bluetooth AOA technology provides strong support for building smart warehouses with its unique advantages. Through its application in cargo management, equipment scheduling, personnel management, and vehicle management, it realizes the digitalization, visualization, and intelligent management of warehouses, improves the operational efficiency and safety of warehouses, and reduces operating costs. With the continuous development and improvement of technology, the application prospects of Bluetooth AOA technology in the field of smart warehouses will be broader.
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