says. Instead of deploying a humanoid, it might be possible to leverage robotic arms. But humanoids tend to offer more adaptability and exibility, while robotic arms provide precision and speed. “It will be interesting to see how it progresses,” Allen says. VIRTUAL COMMISSIONING SPEEDS DEPLOYMENTS Another promising innovation is KION’s ability to virtually commission its autonomous industrial trucks, Hinckeldeyn says. Many warehouses weren’t designed for autonomous forklifts, so implementing them often takes weeks or months. Typically, a team has to conduct a site survey, plan the equipment’s trajectory, and complete other tasks to prepare the environment. Now, the KION team can use a portable scanner to create a three- dimensional map of the warehouse that integrates data from a range of devices, including laser scanners and cameras. It also uses AI and machine learning to identify different objects, such as pallets and racks. By leveraging this information, a team can virtually test the forklift before installation to see if it can navigate the facility and handle tasks such as moving
Big Joe Forklifts’ latest model incorporates onboard vision and embodied AI to allow the forklift to “see” a pallet at the point of pickup and adjust as needed, in real time.
pallets. Once it’s tested, setting up the autonomous truck so it’s operational should take several days, compared to weeks or months previously.
narrowness of the space within a truck and how close the pallets are to each other, Hinckeldeyn says. That can make it hard to distinguish one object—like a pallet—from another or even a person. A new solution is helping to address this. KION’s STILL AXL truck enables the loading of trailers using autonomous forklifts. KION uses an AI model that incorporates a camera stream to determine whether a person is present in the trailer. Only if no person is within the trailer will the autonomous forklift enter it and begin loading. Given the safety considerations, the solution must work with impeccable accuracy. AGV TECHNOLOGY BOOSTS RELIABILITY AND EFFECTIVENESS A current challenge for many forklifts is reliably picking a pallet that’s slightly off position, damaged, or blocked by an item such as stretch wrap, says Nick Malewicki, general manager, autonomous solutions with Big Joe Forklifts. A new model from his company incorporates onboard vision and embodied AI to allow the forklift to “see” a pallet at the point of pickup and adjust as needed, in real time. In live deployments, pallet engagement tops 95%, Malewicki says. That reliability is critical. “It’s the difference between automation you can staff around and automation you have to babysit,” he says. As these examples show, the technology used within autonomous guided vehicles continues to improve. In many cases, it’s becoming both less expensive and more exible. For
AUTOMATION STREAMLINES LOADING AND UNLOADING
Automating the loading and unloading of trucks has been a challenge because every trailer and pallet load is different, says A.K. Schultz, co-founder and chief executive of cer with SVT Robotics, which provides interoperability software. “But advances in robotics, AI, and machine vision are making it possible to automate more of this process, improving throughput and reducing bottlenecks at the dock,” he explains. Additional challenges include the
MOVING PAST THE HYPE While advances in materials handling equipment can signi cantly improve warehouse operations, they’re not automatic panaceas. Warehouses running a single shift may nd it dif cult to justify some investments, given their expense, says Gary Allen of Ryder System. The cost of an autonomous forklift, for instance, can run into the low- to mid-six gures. Along with the upfront investment in technology, organizations need to budget for the skills and expertise required to integrate, implement, and operate the solutions, or what Allen calls maintenance, repairs, and optimization. This generally requires a mix of mechanical, robotic, and systems engineering expertise. Another challenge is the gap between what a solution seems to offer in a demonstration and what it can deliver on a warehouse oor, where it has to contend with congestion, damaged pallets, and other challenges. “There’s no shortage of automation,” says Nick Malewicki of Big Joe Forklifts. “There’s a shortage of automation that survives contact with a real warehouse.” That’s particularly true in cold chain operations. The batteries on autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) die more quickly in frozen environments. Similarly, forklifts and other devices often have to be built slightly differently to withstand the cold, as well as the changes in temperature and humidity. That can add cost, time, and complexity.
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