- The camera-based, fixed sensor can be placed in key points of a store to track inventory levels, to enhance Simbe’s Tally robotic solution.
- Tally RFID provides data about RFID tagged goods, while Tally Spot in its Beta version offers only computer vision, with the ability to include RFID in future versions.
Companies have been using technology firm Simbe’s robotic system to track shelf stock levels in stores. Several such retailers have begun sampling the tech company’s Beta version of supplemental sensors that can be installed in busy areas or locations where high value goods are stocked. While the Tally robot might travel the aisles three to five times a day, the Tally Spot devices use computer vision to capture real-time data in those specific areas of a store.
The Tally robot uses a combination of camera-based computer vision and RFID data to identify what is or is not on shelves. That helps store management prevent price errors and out-of-stock events for customers.
However autonomous mobile robots aren’t intended to provide granular data about all parts of a store, at all times.
“As the impact of in-store intelligence becomes increasingly evident, our retail partners wanted a solution to further extend the value of Tally’s data in targeted areas,” said Brad Bogolea, Simbe’s co-founder and CEO. That additional data can “enhance their operations and ability to deliver a consistent, frictionless shopping experience.”
Wi-Fi Enabled and Configurable
Tally Spot sensors are now available for use in key parts of a store to capture real -time data regarding specific priority areas. They require an outlet to plug into, or battery, and access to the store’s Wi-Fi network. The data is transmitted to Simbe’s cloud-based software.
Bogolea said the addition of Tally Spot is a testament to the value the company’s partners and their retailer customers are gaining from the robotic technology. “Proof points from dozens of retailers and Tally deployments across the globe have proven robotics to be the most accurate and cost-effective solution for in-store intelligence that combines retail systems,” he said, including data related to pricing, point of sale, checkout and e-commerce.
By combining Tally and Tally Spot, retailers conduct more frequent monitoring in critical sales areas. These areas include checkout, and parts of a store where product comes off the shelves quickly—produce sections, deli meats or rotisseries departments, areas that sell prepared foods as well as products prone to theft such as alcohol and cold medicine or luxury goods.
This added layer of visibility helps store teams manage stock levels and prevent shrinkage more effectively, Bogolea said.
Enhancing Robotic Data
Already autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) like Tally can analyze an entire store with the accuracy and efficiency required for most retail operations. The robot can traverse every corner of the store —from center aisles, to coolers, freezers—scanning as many as 30,000 products in an hour, up to five times a day.
Tally Spot sensors were developed at its retailer customers’ request. They include a 2D camera sensor tailored for retail applications. Its adjustable field of view allows for targeted monitoring of specific areas, such as shelves or checkout zones.
Computer Vision and AI
Using advanced computer vision and AI, Tally Spot software precisely analyzes scenes to capture actionable data.
In the system’s current beta version, Tally Spot sensors use cameras to provide real-time data and actionable insights for retailers. While it does not yet include an RFID reader, Tally Spot is designed to be adaptable and could easily serve as a fixed RFID sensor in the future, Bogolea added.
Tally Spot includes a modular design to fit discretely into sections of a store. A retailer may choose to install Tally Spot at every checkout lane to help cashiers identify when there are easy-to-miss items on the bottom rack of a shopper’s cart.
For technology installation and operations, Simbe’s fleet operations team provides 24-hour support, seven days a week, for all sensors and software, including Tally, Tally RFID, and Tally Spot, the company reported.
“We’re there to help our partners with setup and maintenance whenever it’s needed,” said Bogolea.
Realogram Tracking for In-store Visibility
Unlike planogram-based solutions, which Bogolea called time-consuming and often outdated, the Tally system maps stores’ current state and creates a ‘realogram’ to track changes and deliver true visibility into product availability, location and pricing in near real-time. Planograms reflect what the store shelves should look like, while realograms reflect the actual shelf stocking status.
As more retailers are beginning to embrace RFID to track their products, Tally’s RFID technology, known as TallySense, allows retailers to track a variety of products store-wide—from apparel to footwear, small appliances, electronics, sporting goods, and more—providing an up-to-the-minute view of the location and activity of all RFID-tagged merchandise.
“We’re seeing that, more and more, retailers of all types and sizes are combining multiple data capture modalities—computer vision, RFID, and mobile and fixed sensors—in order to take precise inventory counts, track products store-wide, manage e-commerce fulfillment, and better understand activity over time,” said Bogolea.
For stores, the shelf is the linchpin of the retail supply chain. Retailers know that having a lack of visibility into inventory—the industry’s operating layer—creates a ripple effect that impacts not only store sales, but the associate and shopper experience.
“RFID technology is essential for helping retailers achieve true in-store visibility, which allows them to make better, faster business decisions with near real-time insight into product availability, location, and pricing and more,” Bogolea said.