The warehouse is a busy place. The number of industrial vehicles (pallet trucks, forklifts, etc.) passing through the aisle is increasing, and the scale of these facilities is also expanding. In this case, even if many safety measures are taken, the accident is inevitable.
Now, optical sensors on industrial vehicles can provide better protection for warehouse workers because they are working. AZOM of the Fraunhofer Optical Measurement and Surface Technology Application Center in Germany, in cooperation with BASF and Kinotex Sensor Co., Ltd., has developed a prototype designed to ensure increased safety in daily activities.
Fraunhofer Application Center, located in Zwikau, Germany, is a branch laboratory of the Fraunhofer Institute of Materials and Beam Technology IWS. Through its customized optical sensors, it hopes to reduce transport accidents involving industrial trucks for enterprises in the future. For this purpose, BASF provided two pallet trucks.
"Every day, hundreds of industrial trucks drive around our factories and warehouses. Through cooperation with the Fraunhofer Application Center, we are keen to integrate safety technology into our vehicles, so that we can provide better protection for our employees." said Dr. Christian Fischmann, who is in charge of vehicle engineering at BASF AG in DeVichy Port, Germany.
Together with Kinotex Sensor Co., Ltd., he played a consulting role in the project as a customer. "Our system is designed to protect users from being crushed by machines, especially around their feet," explained Professor Peter Hartmann, director of Fraunhofer AZOM. "To achieve this goal, our research team has developed a special proximity sensor, which will detect when the operator is too close to the dangerous area in front of the vehicle, and then brake."
Lidar and sensor work together
The lidar is launched at a specified length and distance, and then reflects from the obstacle. This process generates information about the distance of the object. The real innovation of the system is that it can combine information from multiple directions in space and continuously monitor the sector area around the pallet truck, which is provided by BASF.
The second pressure responsive optical sensor uses the distance information from the object to process the signal -- thanks to the cooperation with Kinotex. The sensor is tactile and can stop the vehicle and automatically move back slightly to prevent the operator from being crushed.
This ability to reverse pallet trucks due to proximity sensors is a unique selling point of the new security technology, which has been tested by BASF employees. Their feedback will be incorporated into the additional work of optimizing the technology, and the relevant employer's liability insurance association will also provide suggestions for researchers on site.
The manufacturer has expressed interest
BASF has demonstrated these two prototypes at professional conferences and trade fairs, and users and manufacturers have shown great interest.
Dr. Christopher Todt, Manager of Surface Measurement Group of Fraunhofer AZOM, said: "This technology can actually be used in any vehicle, but for autonomous vehicle, its prospects are particularly interesting. Its responsibility is to fine tune the technology behind the safety mechanism. At present, we are studying the integration of sensors into an add-on sensor strip, rather than taking it as a fixed part of the vehicle. This will enable them to be added to all manufacturers' vehicles of any type."
The new system fills the security gap
According to the statistics of the German Association for Social Accident Insurance (DGUV), scratches, crush injuries and fractures are the most common types of injuries caused by pallet trucks and forklifts. These vehicles are collectively referred to as ground handling equipment. They travel at a speed of 6 to 7 kilometers per hour. In some cases, they can weigh more than 500 kilograms without load. So far, they haven't included any safety technology that can prevent accidents around the feet -- so this is where the new system comes in.
