DHL Supply Chain is to use smart glasses in more warehouses after trials showed productivity improvements averaging 15 per cent with higher accuracy rates and approval ratings.

The smart glasses provide visual displays of order picking instructions along with information on where items are located and where they need to be placed on a cart, freeing pickers’ hands of paper instructions and allowing them to work more efficiently and comfortably.

DHL Supply Chain chief information officer and chief operating officer, Markus Voss says: “Digitalisation is not just a vision or program for us at DHL Supply Chain, it’s a reality for us and our customers, and is adding value to our operations on the ground. Customers have been very happy about the productivity gains and are equally excited about using innovative technology at their warehouses.”

The trials took place across the US, Europe and the UK throughout a number of different industries including technology, retail and consumer.

Voss says employees are enthusiastic about using state-of-the-art technology and are pleased at how light the smart glasses are and how comfortable it makes the hands-free picking.

He says: “We are very satisfied and happy that the pilot phase went so well and that we can now say augmented reality technology is one of our standard offerings at
DHL Supply Chain.”

Ubimax provided the augmented reality software xPick, Glass Enterprise Edition and Vuzix M100 and M300 glasses were used as hardware.

DHL is looking into additional applications for augmented and virtual reality such as training, maintenance, dimension calculations and more.