Proximus is working with its partners, ID2Move and Phoenix-Tech and its subsidiary Proximus Ada

Belgium operator Proximus and several of its partners recently unveiled a 5G project with the aim of testing warehouse management using 5G coupled with drones and artificial intelligence (AI).

The carrier noted that the project aims to leverage 5G and artificial intelligence to autonomously fly a dronea covered storage warehouse to enable real-time information to be transmitted to the company’s stock manager.

Deltrian International, which specializes in air filtration, stocks many different reference products in its warehouses. As a result, its employees often waste a lot of time locating and retrieving products, then checking that they correspond to the right part number and encoding the stock issue or receipt, Optimus said.

With the help of its partners, ID2Move and Phoenix-Tech and its subsidiary Proximus Ada, Proximus has developed a solution that will make it possible to fly a drone autonomously in a covered storage warehouse. The telco explained that the drone will rely on 5G technology as well as on an artificial intelligence algorithm capable of identifying the multiple references present in the stock and locating the boxes in the warehouse.

Proximus will ensure 5G coverage by setting up a secure 5G private mobile environment, while Proximus Ada will develop the calculation algorithms using machine learning. Phoenix-Tech will supply the drone, while ID2Move will play the role of project coordinator.

Initially, the project is being implemented as a test in ID2Move’s storage area in Nivelles. The solution will then be deployed on a larger scale at Deltrian International’s 15,000 square-meter warehouses in Fleurus. Eventually, the idea is to bring this innovative solution to other companies throughout Belgium, the telco said.

“With the project unveiled today, Proximus and its partners are taking a major step forward in meeting companies’ needs for drone-based inventory control and management. By combining 5G with the artificial intelligence developed by Ada, we are the first to offer companies real-time information sharing, which is a crucial competitive advantage,” said Anne-Sophie Lotgering, enterprise market lead at Proximus.

“New technologies bring essential added value to our businesses. They generate wealth and jobs. They make our SMEs more efficient and profitable. The opportunities offered by 5G connectivity and AI are immense and must be at the very center of our political attention. It is a question of competitiveness, job creation and, therefore, support for our social model,” said Mathieu Michel, Secretary of State for Digitization.