Germany's ZF is launching an autonomous forklift that is fully electrically powered. This allows the ZF Innovation Forklift to communicate with other systems within the facility via a production facility's network. This enables the forklift to collect data from other systems, analyse it using smart algorithms and make autonomous decisions based on it.
The ZF Innovation Forklift was presented by ZF at the Hannover Messe in Hannover, Germany. The company claims that its forklift is the first material handling vehicle that can see, think and act. The robot is equipped with a camera and radar system, which allows the vehicle to map its surroundings. Thus, the vehicle registers the presence of people and objects such as pallets or racks and adjusts its behaviour accordingly.
Artificial intelligence
The data collected by these systems is analysed by the artificial intelligence (AI) that is part of the ZF ProAI computer system integrated into the autonomous forklift. This AI system was previously deployed by ZF in prototypes for passenger vehicles and tractors. Based on the data analyses performed, the ZF Innovation Forklift makes decisions independently, including determining the most optimal route. Thanks to the deployment of smart algorithms, the vehicle can independently analyse which orders need to be picked up during a trip, exactly where the desired goods are stored, in which order the products can best be picked up and what the optimal route to these locations is.
Because the robot is networked, the forklift can communicate with and collect data from both other (autonomous) vehicles, the material management system and other infrastructure in a production facility. All data collected by ZF Innovation Forklifts is transmitted to the cloud, from where the forklifts can be controlled using a fleet management solution. This is the ZF Cloud, a cloud environment where collected data is analysed in real-time. This environment has long been used by wind farms, among others, which determine the optimal mode for wind turbines based on data collected by wind turbine gearboxes.
Payload capacity of 3.5 tonnes
The combination of camera and radar system, the ZF Cloud and AI allows the robot to operate autonomously. For example, the robot can drive autonomously to a specific rack in a warehouse, pick up the desired goods here and deliver them to the location where they are needed. In doing so, the ZF Innovation Forklift can lift a weight of up to 3.5 tonnes, giving the electric forklift performance in terms of load weight comparable to that of some outdoor diesel forklifts. A key advantage of the electric variant, is the fact that it produces zero emissions.
The forklift's electric motor is powered by a built-in battery. According to ZF, this has sufficient capacity to operate a ZF Innovation Forklift for a full shift without interruption. Not only does this eliminate the need to interrupt forklift operations to change batteries, it also allows companies to save on costs by not having to purchase additional batteries.
Intra-Logistics with Integrated Automatic Deployment
ZF is not the only party focusing on developing an autonomous forklift. The Intra-Logistics with Integrated Automatic Deployment (ILIAD) project is also working on a self-propelled forklift, which should eventually be able to autonomously pack, palletise and transport goods in warehouses. The ILIAD project focuses specifically on intralogistics, a form of logistics that takes place on a company's own premises.
The British University of Lincoln, Italian University of Pisa and German Leibniz University are involved in the project, as well as the companies Bosch, Kollmorgen Automation, ACT Operations Research, Logistic Engineering Services and Orkla Foods. The project is led by Sweden's Örebro University. The ILIAD proejct has received a €7 million grant from the European Union's (EU) Horizon 2020 programme.
Automated guided vehicles
In addition, so-called Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) have also been available for warehouses for some time. Like autonomous forklifts, these vehicles are capable of autonomously picking up goods from a warehouse and transporting them to a specific location. One party that relies heavily on AGVs is Amazon, which has over 45,000 AGVs in use in more than 20 fulfilment centres worldwide. These are AGVs developed by Kiva Systems, a company acquired by Amazon in 2012. These AGVs can position themselves under an elevated cabinet of products, lift the entire cabinet and transport it to a human employee. This employee then removes the required products from the cabinet, after which the AGV drives the cabinet back to its original location.
A key difference between AGVs and autonomous forklifts is the infrastructure required for the vehicles. For example, many AGVs require dedicated infrastructure that allows them to make their way through a warehouse. The ZF Innovation Forklift and the vehicles being worked on within the ILIAD project do not need such infrastructure. This is a significant advantage as it simplifies the deployment of the vehicles.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: ZF (pictured)
Source: ILIAD
