Fully Autonomous Unmanned Store with Reduced Carbon Footprint

The 'G1 Store Panel' is a new way of creating a fully automated unmanned store that's open for business 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Launched in 2019, it can be supplied flat pack, quickly built into any standard shipping container and be fully operational within minutes of being powered up. No store person required, no social interaction, reduced risk of exposure to contamination.

Access to each store is restricted to personnel issued with unique identification, and with one person accessing the store at a time, any risk of viral infection is greatly reduced in comparison with a depot visit. Stores can contain any mix hire equipment and supplies. Using passive UHF RFID technology in a revolutionary way the store does not have a manual check-out out, but records every transaction and maintains inventory accuracy above 99 percent.

Transactions are recorded against each individual. Using a secure web portal, store managers can view details of every transaction, what the inventory levels are in the store, which items are fast moving or have never been transacted, and what is the utilisation of hire items. That gives them the ability to adjust inventory to suit the customer and local requirements.

Containerised stores can be quickly deployed close to any point of activity, for example a construction site or rail siding. Currently, external mains power must be supplied to the unit, restricting where it can be located. This project is to research and develop wind, solar and replaceable battery power unit options so that stores can be deployed anywhere where a delivery vehicle can gain access. This fully autonomous store will provide 24/7 availability even in the darkest winter months.

Since stores can be deployed right to the point of activity, users save time and money not having to travel to remote depots for goods, significantly reducing the carbon footprint of the operation. Since all transactions are recorded against individuals, making them more accountable, damage to tools and assets is dramatically reduced, cutting the level of contingency costing required for a project.

For the store provider the always-accurate automated inventory system improves stocking efficiency, reduces waste and can reduce administrative overhead by delivering a single itemised transaction bill per month instead of multiple paper based transactions.

Smart shelving will also be developed as part of this project, removing the need for small or low cost items to be tagged. This will reduce the number of single-use RFID tags used, and reduces the need for single-use plastic packaging on individual items.