SP470123P0080

Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) Phase I

Advanced Automated Inventory Technology Utilizing SOUND

SBIR Phase 1: Feasibility Study of an Automated Inventory Technology for the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Distribution Centers (DCs)

The TONE Knows Inc. ("TONE") will develop next-generation warehouse inventory management, verification, location, and reconciliation utilizing our patented "audio QR Code" technology. This technology allows for the continuous monitoring, tracking, and accounting for every single item stored in a DLA DC, external storage areas, in-theater Distribution Centers, or forward storage facilities, utilizing our secure TONE-Tags and a TONE-enabled mobile application.These TONE-Tags eliminate the hours of wasted effort manually locating, counting, and reconciling physical inventory while simultaneously eradicating all possible human error and SIGNIFICANTLY reducing headcount requirements and cost, and maximizing reliability. Each inventory item is affixed with our patented TONE-Emitter technology. Each TONE-Emitter is individually serialized, "stickers" that can be affixed to the physical item, item packaging, pallet, and/or container, has long-lasting batteries (replaceable or rechargeable), and offer special options that can allow for tracking utilizing our audio QR codes, as well as other tracking technologies like GPS, WiFi, BLE, or other required technologies. TONE-Emitters are also highly configurable, allowing for a wide-array of usage applications, distances, and situations. Inventory management can be performed as personnel simply "walk by" with a mobile application which "counts" and logs all items as they approach and pass. Our TONE-Tags can perform individually or as a group - in a 'mesh network', allowing each item to "report" to neighboring items and "rolling" counts together for reporting purposes. All recorded data is stored in a secure cloud computing infrastructure where real-time computational intelligence, advanced modeling, simulation, and forecasting, predictive analytics, and other data science functions can be performed. Data and information can seamlessly and automatically be delivered to the DLA stakeholders, providing a real-time view across all DLA systems regardless of physical location. Our cloud infrastructure has a highly-configurable security hierarchy - allowing those with proper clearance to quickly access the information they need - without compromising system integrity, ensuring the highest levels of security while executing seamlessly across the entire enterprise, thus allowing for logistics managers, coordinators, and the entire DLA organization to view and manage an extremely accurate, realtime view.

The goal of phase I is to establish the technical merit, feasibility, and commercial potential of proposed R&D efforts and determine the quality of performance of the small business awardee organization.

DLA232-005

L232-005-0120

23.2

Thomas Webster