where traditional geolocation technologies (e.g.
GPS) are not precise enough to work properly, re-
searchers have explored marker-based and mark-
erless navigation aids.
Markerless AR navigation has been investi-
gated for navigation in complex buildings, [7],
in multi-floor environments, [8], and in challeng-
ing indoor conditions such as dark environment,
[9]. However, markerless applications can be de-
manding and may not run smoothly on HMDs
or require additional hardware to be carried by
the user, [10]. For this reason, HMD applications
often rely on markers for precise user position-
ing. Marker-based navigation approaches rely on
QR codes or other markers that are added to the
environment, [8], [11]. Some studies use natural
markers such as signs, emergency exits, and fur-
niture to aid navigation, [12], [13], [14]. Hybrid
solutions combining markers and natural features
have been developed to provide coherent naviga-
tion instructions aligned with the physical world,
[15], [16], [17], although they are not yet opti-
mized for HMDs.
Despite extensive research on AR navigation,
few studies have focused on the use of HMDs to
provide AR navigation instructions, [6], [10], [18].
The study by [10], tested four different solutions
to support route planning and showed that AR
navigation cues that blend into the physical en-
vironment are more effective in wayfinding than
non-AR cues. However, they also require more
computational power.
This paper introduces an innovative AR appli-
cation designed for warehouse logistics, mainte-
nance, and management, creating an AR tool that
assists the operators in warehouse inspection and
navigation. This application allows warehouse op-
erators to work in the warehouse and interact
with a computer while keeping their hands free
at all times. Additionally, the AR app leverages
the operator’s positional information to provide
wayfinding assistance through the warehouse and
facilitate the interaction with the inventory data
of the nearby shelving, preventing potential er-
rors. Utilizing see-through AR HMDs and a min-
imal number of markers, this application provides
logistics and navigation support for warehouse
workers in a comprehensive solution, facilitating
seamless transitions between different tasks.
2 Methods & Results
The complexity of warehouse environments and
the high volume of goods handled daily require in-
novative solutions to increase productivity and re-
duce errors. This is where augmented reality can
play a transformative role. The work described
in this paper has emerged from Cluster Reply’s1
Augmented Warehouse initiative, which aims to
develop innovative solutions to improve ware-
house management and assist warehouse workers.
The initiative focuses on addressing specific chal-
lenges, such as optimizing shelf management, im-
proving navigation and reducing errors in inven-
tory management by implementing a tool specif-
ically designed for warehouse operators. The fol-
lowing methods were used to design and imple-
ment the AR applications developed as part of
this initiative.
2.1 Requirements
The requirements for this project are divided into
design requirements and functional requirements.
The design requirements for this project are to
develop a tool that is: (i) usable on HMDs; (ii)
easy to maintain and update; and (iii) adaptable
to different customer needs.
The functional requirements for this project
address two main tasks that workers could most
benefit from AR assistance: Storage Inspection
and Wayfinding. By assisting operators in these
tasks, we can enable quicker task execution, re-
duce fatigue, and prevent errors, thus significantly
enhancing warehouse productivity and worker
satisfaction.
Storage inspection requires the operator to ac-
cess several pieces of information simultaneously
to be most effective: location, stock, and pend-
ing tasks on a particular item are essential to
optimize the worker’s effort. For instance, the
operator should be able to find a specific shelf
among many in the warehouse quickly, know its
content, including details such as size and quan-
tity of items, and access its status in the system,
such as how many items are on the shelf are to be
shipped and where they are headed. Additionally,
the worker is required to manage the shelf’s con-
tent and update related data in real-time. Our
application aims to create a tool that allows the
user to accomplish all these tasks while staying
in front of the shelving and accessing its informa-
tion via a simple and easy-to-use AR interface to
improve workflow efficiency.
Due to its size, navigating within a large ware-
house can be another significant source of errors
and waste of time, and even an expert operator
may need help finding the desired location. For
this reason, we decided to implement a wayfind-
ing assistance tool for the workers. For effective
wayfinding assistance, AR should provide clear
instructions for workers to reach their destina-
1www.reply.com/cluster-reply/
WSEAS TRANSACTIONS on ENVIRONMENT and DEVELOPMENT
DOI: 10.37394/232015.2024.20.42
Leonardo Vezzani, Federica Moro,
Francesco Strada, Federico Pieri, Andrea Bottino