Mounted to forklifts, reach trucks, and other material handling equipment, Corvus Trident captures pallet movement automatically across inbound, putaway, replenishment, picking, and outbound.
Warehouse systems are only as accurate as the data fed into them. In most facilities, that still depends on people scanning barcodes at the right time and in the right place. When that does not happen, inventory accuracy becomes a problem.
Corvus Robotics is targeting that problem with a new approach. Instead of asking operators to scan more consistently, the company is trying to remove the need to scan at all. At MODEX 2026, Corvus introduced Trident, an AI-powered device that mounts directly to forklifts and automatically tracks pallet movement as part of normal handling.
Traditional warehouse management systems rely on discrete scan events. A pallet is scanned at receiving, scanned again at putaway, and perhaps again at shipping. Everything in between is assumed.
In practice, those scans are often missed, delayed, or performed inconsistently. The result is a familiar set of issues, including inventory discrepancies, shipment errors, chargebacks, and time-consuming reconciliation work. With Corvus Trident, rather than requiring operators to stop and scan, the system records pallet movement automatically while the forklift is in motion. As loads are picked up, moved, and placed, the device reads barcodes and logs each event in real time.
Corvus Trident: Turning Forklifts into Data Capture Systems
At its core, Trident turns a forklift into a mobile tracking platform. Mounted on the backrest of the truck, the device uses cameras and onboard AI to observe pallet handling activity, similar to other emerging IoT-based tracking technologies. It can read multiple barcodes at once, recognize pallets at different orientations, and capture data from loads stacked up to three high. From there, it builds a continuous record of where pallets move within the facility.
Unlike many real-time location systems, the approach does not rely on GPS, fixed beacons, or infrastructure installed throughout the building. Instead, the system interprets what it sees directly from the forklift. It allows warehouses to capture detailed movement data without installing a facility-wide tracking network, and without requiring operators to change their workflow.
From Snapshots to a Continuous Record
One way to understand the difference is to think in terms of snapshots versus video. A traditional scan-based system provides snapshots of inventory location at specific points in time. Those snapshots can be accurate, but they leave gaps. Trident is designed to fill those gaps by recording each movement as it happens.
“Most facilities still rely on fragmented scan events to understand the movement of physical goods,” explained Jackie Wu, Corvus Robotics CEO. “That leaves major gaps between what the system says should have happened and what actually did.” By capturing movement continuously, the system aims to provide a more complete and auditable record of activity inside the warehouse.
Trident is not a standalone product. It is part of a broader system that includes Corvus Robotics’ existing drone-based inventory platform, Corvus One.
The two technologies address different aspects of the same problem.
- Trident tracks inventory in motion through normal forklift operations
- Corvus One performs cycle counts by scanning inventory in storage locations
Together, they provide visibility into both moving and stationary inventory. Data from both systems feeds into Corvus’ AIMS platform, which aggregates information and supports decisions related to labor planning, slotting, and overall warehouse performance. For operations already investing in automation and data visibility, this combined approach may offer a more complete picture of inventory behavior.
Early Adoption and Use Cases
MSI Surfaces, a large U.S. distributor of flooring and building materials, has already deployed the system at its Orange County headquarters. “After leveraging Corvus’ drone technology over the last four years to improve rack inventory accuracy, we are excited to take the next step toward tighter inventory controls with Corvus Trident,” said Matt Zucker, team leader of Operations Strategy and Analytics.
He added that the system is expected to deliver “data points and analysis with a level of consistency that traditional manual scanning processes and legacy systems struggle to achieve.”
Corvus positions the system as a way to reduce errors and improve traceability while increasing throughput without adding labor. Potential benefits include:
- fewer chargebacks and shipment errors
- improved inventory accuracy and audit readiness
- reduced shrinkage and write-offs
- better visibility for labor planning and slotting decisions
The underlying challenge is not new. Warehouse operators have long dealt with the limitations of scan-based systems, particularly in high-volume environments where speed and accuracy are often at odds. What is different here is the approach. Rather than improving compliance with scanning procedures, Corvus is attempting to embed data capture directly into the work itself. If successful, that could reduce reliance on operator behavior and provide a more consistent stream of data.
It also reflects a broader shift in warehouse technology, where visibility is increasingly tied to automation and real-time data rather than manual inputs.
Source: Corvus Robotics
Rick LeBlanc, EMBA, is the founder and editor of Reusable Packaging News (subscribe to the free newsletter) and editor of Western Pallet Magazine. A supply chain journalist with more than 30 years of experience, he specializes in pallets, reusable packaging, material handling and related operations. Rick is co-author of Pallets: A North American Perspective and Pallets & Progress: A Collected History of Pallets and Palletized Handling 1922–1945. He is also an advisory board member of the Virginia Tech Center for Packaging and Unit Load Design. Read Rick’s full bio.
