The technology integrated by Etihad uses computer vision to calculate dimensions and the type of cargo to be loaded on airplanes.

Online shopping has opened doors to a virtual marketplace where consumers get to choose from a wider array of products on e-commerce platforms, while businesses have more options to procure essential tools from different parts of the world. This is why the importance of transportation solutions has increased at a time when firms are going digital, and this has paved the way for integration of AI as well as cloud services into the existing supply chain.

The movement of cargo in and out of the Emirates has been revolutionised thanks to Dhows equipped with AI that connects them to business owners, while ports in the country now have systems to monitor goods, which are transported on autonomous trucks. To make the most of its capacity for delivering products across the globe by air, Emirati carrier Etihad has set up an intelligent mechanism which scans the cargo's size and type, before generating insights that are used for planning the most efficient way to load goods on an airplane.

As part of a collaboration with logistics firm Speedcargo, Etihad has created a system backed by computer vision tech called Cargo Eye, which is paired with a planning mechanism called Cargo Mind, in order to make the most of space available on carriers. To start off the process, Cargo Eye scans goods, takes their size and type into account for figuring out dimensions accurately, before relaying the data towards the Cargo Mind software.

Through intelligent analysis, the system's own mind then creates a plan to use the space efficiently for loading as much cargo as possible on a single flight, to significantly scale up Etihad's capacity. By deploying these innovative solutions, the Emirati airline is expecting to boost the amount of cargo transported on its carriers by almost 3000 tonnes a year.

Introduced with a view to increase accuracy, Cargo Eye has been created using Microsoft's state-of-the-art time-of-flight sensing tech.