How camera-based inventory counting works

Where the cameras go

Camera counting works at a fixed point that goods pass through, not across a whole storeroom. The camera watches one controlled area, so every item that crosses it is seen. Vikbot products place cameras at these points:

• Conveyor at a dispatch counter, packing station or receiving point: CountBot puts vision cameras over a smart conveyor.
• Loading dock door: DockBot mounts a camera over a short conveyor at the dock.
• Loading station: Dispatch Tracker uses a scanner camera at the loading station and a top camera above the loading area to follow how goods move.
• Packing bench: PackBot uses a top camera that sees the box contents, a label camera that reads the box, and a scale.
• Pallets: the AI Pallet Scanner uses a multi-camera array that captures every item stacked on a pallet at once.

Whatever the point, the camera needs a clear, steady view of each item, with the labels it must read facing it. The exact camera, mounting position and lighting are chosen for each site during the site survey; Vikbot does not publish one fixed specification.

How counts are produced

1. Items move into the camera's view, for example one layer at a time on a conveyor.
2. An AI model detects each unit in the video frames and follows it as it moves, so each unit is counted once.
3. Where the product needs it, the model identifies the item from its label, packaging and appearance, and reads barcodes or DataMatrix codes on the move.
4. The live count is shown to the operator at the counting point.

The AI runs on a Vikbot-supplied edge computer on the customer's local network. Video stays on site and counting carries on without an internet connection.

How counts are checked

A count only matters when it is compared with what should be there. Each count is checked against the expected quantity: the pick list, invoice or dispatch order from the ERP or WMS. DockBot can also run standalone from a spreadsheet.

• Match: the goods move on. At DockBot a green signal allows loading.
• Mismatch: an alert is raised at once, before the goods leave. DockBot shows a red warning and blocks loading; Dispatch Tracker can stop the conveyor.
• Proof: every count is saved with a photo and timestamp; PackBot also records the packer. Disputes are settled from the record instead of a recount.
• Records: verified counts and exceptions go to the ERP or WMS and to Fusion Insight. Vikbot WMS changes stock only when a movement has been verified.

Accuracy and known limits

Accuracy depends on the items and on the installation, so it is confirmed for each site during the survey and the parallel run, not quoted as one figure for every warehouse. These limits are part of the method:

• It counts what moves past the camera. Stock that sits untouched on a rack is not counted and still needs periodic checks.
• It counts what it can see. Units hidden inside a closed carton or under other items cannot be counted, which is why counting happens per carton on a conveyor, before a box is sealed, or with several cameras for a pallet.
• It knows the items it was trained on. The models are trained on the customer's own items; a new item or a new pack design should be added before it is counted at volume.
• Conditions matter. Changing light, glare from shrink wrap or a moved camera can reduce reliability, so lighting and mounting are checked at installation.
• It needs a learning period. PackBot, for example, needs about two weeks of use to learn the items and workflow before it becomes the primary control. Existing checks stay in place during a parallel run.

What a site needs

• A fixed counting point where goods pass in a controlled way: a conveyor, packing bench, dock door or pallet station.
• A mounting position, lighting and power at that point, checked during the site survey.
• A place on the local network for the edge computer. Counting does not need internet access.
• The expected quantities: a link to the ERP or WMS for pick lists, invoices or dispatch orders. SAP is connected over SAP APIs (OData, BAPI/RFC), with the SAP-side work done together with the customer's SAP team.
• Samples of the items to be counted, for training, and staff for the parallel run.

A rollout follows the same steps each time: site survey, installation, model training on the customer's items, a parallel run and go-live. The timeline is set after the site survey. For the methods side by side, see alternatives to warehouse inventory counting systems; for other guides, see all implementation guides.