SMARTSTOCK: Real-Time AI-Powered Vision System for Automated Warehouse Inventory Management

Abstract

SMARTSTOCK is an intelligent warehouse management system developed to overcome long-standing challenges in stock visibility, manual inventory counting, and inefficient resource utilization. The system integrates artificial intelligence, computer vision, and image processing to enable real-time stock detection, customer presence tracking, and parking lot traffic monitoring. Designed to enhance operational transparency and decision-making efficiency, SMARTSTOCK automates key warehouse functions traditionally dependent on manual supervision. The architecture comprises two core modules: an AI-based Video Recognition Module and a Real-Time Visibility and Reporting Module. The AI-based Video Recognition Module incorporates three sub-modules—Stock Detection and Tracking, Client Presence Counting, and Car Park Counting—which employ YOLOv8 models for object detection and the SORT algorithm for object tracking and counting. Experimental evaluation demonstrated high reliability and accuracy, achieving 90.16% for stock tracking, 95% for client presence counting, and 100% for car park occupancy detection. The Real-Time Visibility and Reporting Module provides a unified dashboard for data visualization, live monitoring, and decision support, significantly reducing human error and out-of-stock occurrences. Despite its strong performance, SMARTSTOCK faces limitations related to hardware dependency and difficulty in detecting low-stock items under full occlusion. Future enhancements will focus on cloud-based implementation, model optimization, and integration with point-of-sale systems to achieve comprehensive inventory intelligence. Overall, SMARTSTOCK represents a robust, explainable, and scalable AI-driven framework that advances warehouse automation, improves resource utilization, and strengthens real-time decision-making within retail environments.