OPENSHELF

OPENSHELF builds an open-source hardware-and-software system that automates physical inventory: storage, retrieval, and real-time tracking, in the form of a small-scale Automated Storage and Retrieval System (AS/RS). The system is designed to handle item movement end to end and to capture weight, dimensions, and location data on every movement, so the inventory record is updated at the point of physical handling rather than through manual counts.

On the technical side, the work spans hardware-software integration, robotics/AS-RS mechanics, sensor data capture, and real-time tracking, combined with open-source software. The system is intended to be flexible and adaptable across environments, which implies a design that tolerates varied item geometries, storage layouts, and deployment contexts rather than one tuned to a single fixed installation. Target verticals include warehousing, logistics and storage, and physical inventory management more broadly.

Both the hardware and the software are released as open source so others can adapt, improve, and deploy the system themselves. A stated goal is to make accurate real-time inventory visibility available to operations that lack the budgets of large warehouses, and to address inventory processes that are manual and error-prone. More detail is available at https://openshelf.com/.