VDL Groep announces it will supply Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) to chemical group BASF. In addition, the company recently delivered its first 'driverless truck' to Singaporean logistics company Katoen Natie. In both cases, the vehicles are capable of driving and transporting goods autonomously, without the need to cordon off the area in which the vehicles operate.
The company will supply German chemical group BASF with some seven 16-axle AGVs, including charging stations, infrastructure and control equipment for the vehicles. The vehicles will be deployed by BASF in Ludwigshaven, where they will cover routes of more than 100 kilometres in length at speeds of up to 30 km/h.
Only 1.15 metres high
The AGVs are 18 metres long, weigh 28 tonnes empty and can weigh up to 113 tonnes including load. The vehicles are only 1.15 metres high without load, allowing the AGVs to easily drive under existing obstacles such as pipes in logistics environments.
VDL reports that the AGVs are the world's first vehicles that can operate in a manned environment, without the need to shield the route the vehicle travels or have a guard ride with it. "There is an interplay of computers, cameras, sensors and scanners that allows the vehicles to know if there are any obstacles," explains Miel Timmers, head of communications at VDL Groep. This combination enables the vehicles to signal, for example, that pedestrians are approaching the vehicle from a certain direction so that it can come to a stop in time. Timmers says the AGVs automatically continue their route as soon as the road is clear again.
Katoen Natie
VDL Groep also announces it has delivered the first driverless truck to Katoen Natie, which operates in the Asian country of Singapore. The vehicle autonomously transports semi-trailers for the logistics company. The first driving tests with the vehicle have been successful, VDL reports. In time, Katoen Natie plans to commission 11 more of these vehicles.
The trucks will initially operate on the premises of an Asian petrochemical company, which has not been named. This site is equipped with electronic beacons that allow the trucks to find their route. Eventually, the Katoen Nation also plans to deploy the vehicles on public roads on Singapore's Jurong Island. This will no longer use electronic beacons, but satellite navigation.
Shortage of drivers
By deploying autonomous trucks on public roads, Katoen Natie aims to address the shortage of suitable drivers. Local drivers are hard to find on Jurong, while the Singapore government wants to reduce the number of foreign drivers. VDL Groep cannot report whether Katoen Natie has yet received permission from the Singapore government to deploy the autonomous trucks on public roads.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Source: VDL Groep (pictured)
