Vision-guided industrial vehicle suppliers VisionNav is set to bring its range of fully automated forklift trucks and intelligent operating systems to the European market.
The VisionNav range includes driverless counterbalanced forklift trucks, reach trucks, stackers and tow tractors. These operator-free vehicles use a mounted camera to sense the environment in which the vehicle is operating.
Information concerning the structural design and storage system lay-out of the facility where trucks are deployed is stored as off-line maps, which the visual navigation system matches with real time images received from the camera to navigate the forklifts efficiently and safely around the store.
With multiple vehicles controlled by the system, the trucks are directed to their next location via the shortest, fastest and safest route for optimum throughput performance.
Capable of operating outside and inside in dimly lit buildings, VisionNav driverless forklifts can undertake the type of task that would be expected of a traditional manually operated forklift. This includes vehicle loading and unloading, pallet put-away and retrieval in both standard and narrow aisle racking configurations, as well as pallet and stillage movements throughout the warehouse.
According to VisionNav, its vehicles are not only highly efficient, but the technology is also quick and easy to install and brings a rapid return on investment. The flexible technology is designed to allows driverless industrial trucks to be adopted with minimal disruption to a site’s existing intralogistics process and, typically, ROI is achieved after a period of 18-24 months.
Jason Zang, VisionNav Robotics’ head of sales – Europe, said: “When it comes to running a lift truck fleet, the forklift driver is often the biggest cost. Salaries, bonuses, training and myriad other expenses combined with hidden extras such as the damage to goods or a building’s infrastructure caused by a carelessly driven truck or, worse still, injuries to personnel, all add up to a considerable sum.
“In addition, across the world there is a shortage of forklift drivers, so it is not surprising that more and more companies are adopting automated materials handling equipment to optimise the efficiency of their warehouse intralogistics processes.”
VisionNav Robotics is now looking to appoint distribution partners throughout Europe.
