Robotized Lift Trucks.

I’m guessing the correct term would be Autonomous Lift Trucks. But driverless lift trucks are nothing new; in the past, they were called AGVs (automated guided vehicles), and there were a few businesses that would convert some lift truck models to AGVs. These tended to be focused on the manufacturing industry, where there were loads that needed to travel long distances over and over and over again. Therefore, the needed functionality was not all that sophisticated. These AGVs were designed specifically for a customer. I don’t believe anyone was selling off-the-shelf AGVs. And the main lift truck manufacturers were not offering automated options.

humanoid robot driving forklift

Well, at Promat 2023, Robots were all the rage, and, of course, lift truck manufacturers were automating their lift trucks. And no, they are not having a humanoid robot hop on the lift truck and start driving it (the image on the right was created by Microsoft's AI). Instead, they are adding sensors and computers to operate the vehicle without a human. I had assumed man-up Turret Trucks would be a no-brainer for this because they already almost drive themselves. And I did see examples of this at Promat 2023. But they were automating all types of vehicles. I think most of these were currently prototypes that were not yet available for sale. Talking with the Sales Reps, I got the impression that these were not going to be crazy expensive.

I was disappointed by one aspect of these prototypes. They were still using wire guidance. I think this is a bit of an “if it ain’t broke” mentality, but I think they are missing an opportunity here. Rack damage due to lift trucks has been a problem for decades. This doesn’t matter what type of lift truck is being operated; they all crash into racks sometimes. And while wire guidance has become standard for very narrow aisle applications (specifically turret trucks and order pickers), it would also be very useful to be able to drive other vehicles down narrow or wider aisles, knowing you won’t accidentally swerve into the rack at some point. And even with order pickers and turret trucks, it would be nice not to need the additional infrastructure or wires embedded in the floors. Plus, an autonomous vehicle should be able to transfer from one aisle to another better. This functionality would be useful on any lift truck, but would be particularly helpful with order pickers and articulated trucks, which often are run in narrow aisles without guidance.

I’m certain this will be coming at some point, but come on, don’t make us wait.

Collaborative lift trucks.

The other thing I was looking for, but didn’t see, is adding functionality to make it easier for an operator to operate the vehicle. Specifically, I was looking for guidance systems, as previously covered, and the automation of actually putting a palletized load into the rack or pulling a palletized load out of the rack. Think of this as similar to new cars that can automatically parallel park. This is the tricky part of operating lift trucks, especially reach trucks and articulated trucks. With the ability to automate this, a less-experienced operator can work like a pro. This should allow you to go to narrower aisles since you don’t need to leave a little more room for less-experienced operators. It should also allow the operator to work at a faster rate and reduce damage.

I realize the ultimate goal here is full automation, but I’m looking at what is practical today. If we use driverless cars as an example, they are not yet ready for prime time. But, if a car has the functionality to help keep me in my lane, avoid cutting someone off, or hit the brakes when there is an obstacle, and can also parallel park itself in a tight space, that is a great compromise.

Some specific suggestions for manufacturers.

Not that they check with me first, but this is what I would like to see.

Order Pickers.

Give them a navigation system that keeps them centered in a narrow aisle whenever they are moving faster than maybe 100 or 150 feet per minute. That would allow you to cruise down the aisle at a decent speed when having to go some distance but still give you full control when you are close to the location you are going to pick from.
Don’t allow operation if the operator is not connected to the lanyard. This is a safety issue. I believe Raymond already had something like this.

Articulated Lift Trucks and Reach Trucks

Give them a navigation system that keeps them centered in a narrow aisle whenever they are moving faster than maybe 100 or 150 feet per minute. That would allow you to cruise down the aisle at a decent speed when having to go some distance but still give you full control when you are close to the location you are going to pick from.
Provide automation of the controls for putting the load into the rack (or extracting). I see this as similar to parallel parking automation in cars. You would pull up close to the location and somehow have the means to tell the truck which location you are planning to access, then let it do its thing.

Turret Trucks.

Full automation. These things already almost drive themselves; just take them to the next step and let them operate without a driver.
I would also like to see turret trucks not require a wire for guidance within the aisles.

Standard Counterbalanced Lift Trucks and Rider Pallet Trucks.

Guidance similar to that mentioned previously to keep them in the center of aisles at speed.
Automated loading and unloading of trailers with palletized loads.
Use as AGVs for repetitive trips from point A to point B.

I think these recommendations would cover the vast majority of the warehouses I work with. I recommend Order Pickers and Articulated Trucks all the time. This added functionality would be great for those environments.