SkyLog: Drones take warehouse logistics to new heights

Have you ever tried to find a single product in a warehouse packed to the brim?
Imagine thousands of heavy steel parts stacked high, row after row. Locating one specific part can quickly turn into a logistical nightmare — costing time, efficiency and safety.

This was the challenge faced by ABS, a steel manufacturing facility in Italy and one of the COGNIMAN use cases. In their outdoor storage bays, parts are densely packed, making manual identification and retrieval both slow and demanding.

From challenge to solution

A team of innovators within COGNIMAN from Montimage, NORCE, IBM and DeepBlue developed a demonstrator that combines drones and intelligent software to transform warehouse operations.

The solution is called SkyLog. Its goal? To make warehouse logistics safer, faster and smarter.

How SkyLog works

• Drone-captured video: A drone flies over and around the storage bay, capturing high-resolution images and videos from multiple angles with minimal disruption.
• Human-machine interface: This visual data is processed through an intuitive interface designed to automatically identify products and determine their exact position in the stack.
• Digital mapping: Once identified, parts are mapped and linked graphically, enabling efficient navigation, tracking and coordination of logistics activities.

The result is a streamlined process that reduces operator workload, improves traceability and speeds up access to the right materials.

The benefits at a glance

• Faster access: Find and retrieve specific parts without wasting time.
• Safer handling: Reduce the risks of manual searching in crowded, heavy storage areas.
• Smarter operations: Gain better visibility and traceability across the entire warehouse.
• Flexible applications: Adapt SkyLog to raw materials, finished goods or any complex storage environment.

A step toward the future of warehousing

SkyLog is more than a tool — it’s a step toward fully digitised and intelligent warehouse management. By leveraging drones and AI-driven interfaces, it shows how traditional industries like steel manufacturing can embrace innovation for efficiency and safety.

Developed with real industrial needs in mind, this demonstrator highlights how collaborative projects like COGNIMAN can deliver practical solutions with impact across multiple sectors.