Voice and RFID converge

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 1/1/2007

RFID and voice technology are powerful solutions in their own rights. Together, they may be downright synergistic.

"Right now, we can direct a worker to a picking location using voice technology or a warehouse management system," says Dick Sorenson, director of RFID products for LXE. "But then we trust him to pick and enter the right amount in the system."

Not only does the operator have to scan a bar code, key in information or speak it into a microphone, if he picks the wrong item or the wrong amount, the error isn't caught until the order gets to an audit station or the shipping dock. "When that happens, we have to tear the pallet down and repack the right item," says Sorenson.

The convergence of voice and RFID technology, now under development, promises to catch picking errors where the picking is taking place and to automate data-entry.

"RFID and voice are both hands-free technologies," says Rich Hayden, director of channel programs for Voxware. "If you combine the two, the work flow is more streamlined and fluid because the operator doesn't have to read a check digit to verify the pick."

Because an RFID tag can carry more information than a bar code, the system can catch exceptions.

"With serialized product information, the system can identify discontinued items, promotional items or expired products in the food or pharma industries," says Tom Kerr, director of applied research for Vocollect.

For more on this topic view the "Data capture goes multi-modal" Webcast.