AWARD´s Automated Forklift Use Case Testing

AWARD’s Automated Forklift Use Case Launched: A September is a Month to Remember in Logistics Automation! Indeed the month is abuzz with excitement as the AWARD consortium takes a giant leap in logistics automation. The testing commences 30km south of Vienna in the town of Seibersdorf, Austria at the AIT facilities, where our team is diligently working to recreate real-world scenarios, including open-world loading environments like construction sites, farms, and even small warehouses, all within the controlled setting of our research proving grounds. This initiative introduces an autonomous outdoor forklift system, powered by the Crayler vehicle, primarily operating within warehousing environments. 

Work on this use case represents a collective effort led by AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, specifically the Center for Technology Experience and the Center for Vision, Automation & Control, along with a team of esteemed consortium partners, all working collaboratively to bring this innovation to life. Digitrans ensures safety testing, while EasyMile, Adasky, Continental and Foresight manage the sensor recording setup. Applied Autonomy takes charge of the remote interface, ensuring seamless integration and operational efficiency.

*To find out more, make sure to keep an eye out for the upcoming press release: free download will be available from here.

*Be sure to stay connected with us to keep up with the latest developments. We’re committed to bringing you the most current information as we progress through this testing phase. As the testing concludes, we’ll update this blog with the final results and an array of captivating photos, giving you an immersive glimpse into our journey. Your curiosity is our motivation – so watch this space for the exciting revelations that await at the culmination of our testing endeavour!

Substantial evolution in logistics:

🔸Unmatched Versatility: What truly sets this innovation apart is its unparalleled adaptability. It not only handles standard EU pallets but can seamlessly accommodate nearly any arbitrary load carriers. This remarkable flexibility ensures it thrives in any situation, from unfamiliar environments to diverse load carriers and complex scenarios like loading, part-loading, and distributed unloading across multiple locations.

🔸Navigating Diverse Environments – From Supply Stations to Delivery Points: This system excels in navigating diverse environments, including challenging sites like construction zones and various loading points and supply stations in the supply chain. It effortlessly traverses surfaces ranging from asphalt to gravel to grass, thanks to its advanced environmental interpretation capabilities

🔸Precision Control and Real-Time Adjustments: Control extends beyond planning for loading and unloading; it also enables real-time adjustments to address unforeseen situations. This groundbreaking approach promises to revolutionize logistics and supply chain management, offering unmatched adaptability and control. End-users across diverse settings stand to benefit significantly from this innovation.

Testing Phases:

This warehouse use case unfolds in three crucial phases, commencing in Mid-September 2023 and concluding in mid-March 2024:

Phase #1: Safe movement in open environments.

Phase #2: Autonomous loading of a single hand-picked pallet to a defined location.

Phase #3: Complete automated loading and unloading of a full truck.

During these phases, meticulous mechanical and electrical integration of the Automated Driving System (ADS) into the Crayler forklift vehicle is ongoing.  AWARD’s advanced sensors are seamlessly integrated, and the team is proactively addressing potential weather-related challenges, particularly in snowy conditions. To ensure fully automated and secure movement, a cutting-edge fleet management system (FMS) developed by Applied Autonomy enhances efficiency and safety.

* photo: the Crayler vehicle forklift at the AIT premises.

This is just one facet of the meticulously planned AWARD H2020 project. Other scenarios include Hub to Hub, Airport, and Port, each strategically designed to showcase the potential of autonomous technology in diverse operational settings.

Stay Tuned!

Be sure to stay connected with us to keep up with the latest developments. We’re committed to bringing you the most current information as we progress through this testing phase. As the testing concludes, we’ll be updating this blog with the final results and an array of captivating photos, giving you an immersive glimpse into the journey we’ve undertaken. Your curiosity is our motivation – so watch this space for the exciting revelations that await at the culmination of our testing endeavour!

Latest updates

In a significant development this November 2023, the AWARD project achieved a major milestone in autonomous forklift technology, thanks to the efforts of the Austrian Institute of Technology (AIT). Rigorous safety tests were conducted at the Digitrans test track in St. Valentin, Austria, under challenging conditions. Despite temperatures nearing the freezing point, the autonomous forklift demonstrated exceptional proficiency in safety and collision avoidance. Equipped with a sophisticated stereo camera-based collision detection system, the vehicle successfully halted before encountering both static obstacles and moving human dummies.

Remarkably, the forklift’s collision detection system performed with exceptional accuracy, effectively stopping before almost all obstacles taller than the defined minimum height of 50cm, even amidst medium to harsh rain conditions. This precise detection capability and a remarkably low rate of false positives enabled the forklift to navigate through narrow corridors with minimal clearances of just 40cm on each side. This test not only marks a breakthrough in terms of operational safety in adverse weather conditions but also showcases the forklift’s ability to operate efficiently in tightly constrained spaces, significantly enhancing the practical viability and reliability of autonomous forklifts in real-world logistics scenarios.

Latest updates (April 2024)

The AWARD project, in collaboration with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, is hosting a Forklift Demonstration Event on May 7th at the AIT’s Large-Scale Robotics Lab in Seibersdorf, Austria. This event will showcase the autonomous counterbalanced forklift truck, highlighting its operational capabilities within factory logistics.

Attendees will witness firsthand the application of autonomous heavy-duty vehicles in enhancing efficiency and safety in logistics operations. The demonstration will include presentations on the technology’s development, its current state, and future applications.

Want to meet us in other events? Keep following AWARD on Linkedin and Twitter to keep updated with its next developments.