High-position goods taking and placing method of three-way fork type forklift

Abstract

The invention relates to the technical field of automatic loading and unloading of logistics forklifts, in particular to a high-position goods taking and placing method for a three-way fork type forklift, which comprises a goods taking method, an identification system and a telescopic radar mounted below a fork arm, the identification system comprises a goods taking and vehicle moving identification module, a goods placing and vehicle moving identification module and a goods placing space detection module, the visual goods taking and placing system based on the goods shelf is designed for solving the problem that in the goods taking and placing process of a three-way fork type forklift on the goods shelf, the precision is poor. According to the system, each storage location point can be accurately positioned through the visual identification technology, and therefore the accuracy of the forklift in the goods taking and placing process is ensured.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to the technical field of automatic loading and unloading of logistics forklifts, and in particular to a method for high-position cargo picking and placing by a three-way forklift. Background Art

[0002] With the rapid development of the logistics industry, automation and intelligence have become important directions for the transformation and upgrading of the industry. In this context, the application of AGV (automatic guided vehicle) is becoming more and more widespread, becoming an important means to improve logistics efficiency and reduce labor costs. In common factory warehouse environments, large reach forklifts were once the main force for picking up and placing goods on shelves. However, this type of forklift has relatively high requirements for aisle space, which has undoubtedly become a problem that needs to be solved urgently as land resources are becoming increasingly scarce and customers are increasingly demanding warehouse capacity.

[0003] With the continuous advancement of AGV technology, customers are also pursuing higher efficiency in logistics, which requires AGV to be able to operate flexibly in narrower spaces to maximize the use of warehouse space. However, due to design limitations, traditional large reach forklifts cannot meet the requirements of picking and placing goods in narrow aisles, which undoubtedly limits their application in modern logistics warehouses.

[0004] To solve this problem, the three-way forklift came into being. This forklift has a unique design, and the fork arm can move in three directions, so that the task of picking up and placing goods on the shelves on both sides of the aisle can be completed without adjusting the direction of the vehicle body.

[0005] However, in the application of three-way forklifts, since the fork arm needs to move forward and backward to accurately locate the storage point, it is very easy to slip and stop inaccurately during driving. This not only affects the efficiency of picking and placing goods, but also easily causes damage to the shelves and goods, and even causes safety accidents. Summary of the invention

[0006] (I) Purpose of the invention

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to propose a high-position picking and placing method for a three-way forklift, which performs visual inspection during each picking and placing task to ensure accurate picking and placing. At the same time, this design can greatly reduce the debugging time in the implementation phase for large shelf warehouses.

[0008] (II) Technical solution

[0009] A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift includes a picking up method, an identification system, and a telescopic radar installed under a fork arm. The identification system includes a picking up and moving vehicle identification module, a placing and moving vehicle identification module, and a placing space detection module. The picking up method includes the following steps:

[0010] 1) AGV arrives at the storage site;

[0011] 2) Take photos and calculate the front-to-back and left-to-right deviations of the pallet;

[0012] 3) Extend the forklift arm, adjust the telescopic range, and move the vehicle forward and backward;

[0013] 4) Pickup is successful;

[0014] 5) Take photos of goods placed on the shelves;

[0015] 6) Calculate the offset and storage space relative to the storage location;

[0016] 7) If there is insufficient space for cargo, the vehicle will report an error;

[0017] 8) There is enough space for loading, the forklift forks are extended, the telescopic amount is adjusted, and the vehicle is moved forward and backward;

[0018] 9) Goods released successfully.

[0019] Preferably, the cargo pickup and vehicle moving identification module is used to identify the position of the pallet relative to the forklift and the overall cargo width, and to finally pick up the cargo in the center by adjusting the extension and retraction of the fork arm and the posture of the moving wheels. At this time, it is necessary to record the offset of the cargo on the fork arm.

[0020] Preferably, the cargo placement and vehicle moving identification module adjusts the current cargo placement position by identifying the distance to the cargo in the adjacent storage location on the shelf.

[0021] Preferably, the cargo release space detection module identifies the cargo release space of the target storage location through a radar under the fork arm to confirm whether the cargo release conditions are met, and directly alarms if not met.

[0022] Preferably, the pickup and vehicle moving identification module also includes: after the forklift arrives at the target warehouse location, the fork arm is lifted to take pictures, the point cloud information of the object in front is obtained, the vehicle plane is extracted through point cloud screening and RANSAC algorithm, fine-grained positioning is performed according to the plane information, the front and back and left and right postures of the vehicle are obtained, and the excess amount of goods on the left and right sides exceeding the pallet is calculated using the vehicle position, and recorded in the system.

[0023] Preferably, the radar is below the bottom of the pallet when placing the goods.

[0024] It can be seen from the above technical solutions that the present application has the following beneficial effects:

[0025] 1. This invention aims to solve the problem of poor accuracy of three-way forklifts in the process of picking up and placing goods on shelves, and designs a visual picking and placing system based on shelves. Through visual recognition technology, the system can accurately locate each warehouse point, thereby ensuring the accuracy of the forklift in the process of picking up and placing goods. This innovative design not only improves the operating efficiency of the forklift, but also greatly reduces the risk of cargo damage and safety accidents caused by insufficient accuracy. At the same time, because the system can automatically perform visual inspections, engineers no longer need to perform tedious debugging of each shelf point, thereby greatly reducing the amount of construction.

[0026] 2. The visual cargo placement function in this invention completely solves this problem. By identifying the position relationship between the forklift's first stop point and the shelf, the system can automatically adjust the cargo placement position to ensure accurate cargo placement. This function not only simplifies the debugging process, but also significantly improves construction efficiency. This advantage is particularly obvious in large shelf area storage locations, which can greatly save manpower and time costs.

[0027] 3. This invention effectively solves this problem by adding a cargo release radar. The cargo release radar can monitor the cargo release space in real time to ensure the safety of the forklift during the cargo release process. Even if the cargo next to it is offset, the system can adjust the cargo release position in time to avoid the risk of collision. This innovative design not only improves the operating safety of the forklift, but also provides customers with more reliable and efficient logistics services. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0028] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the cargo picking and placing process of the three-way forklift of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the radar installation position flow chart of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the simulation of the first scenario of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the simulation of the second scenario of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the simulation of the third scenario of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the present disclosure, application, and use. It should be understood that in all of these figures, the same or similar reference numerals indicate the same or similar parts and features. The various drawings only schematically represent the concepts and principles of the embodiments of the present disclosure, and do not necessarily show the specific dimensions and proportions of the various embodiments of the present disclosure. Specific parts in specific drawings may be exaggerated to illustrate the relevant details or structures of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0034] See also Figure 1-5 , an embodiment provided by the present invention:

[0035] A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift includes a picking up method, an identification system and a telescopic radar installed under a fork arm. The identification system includes a picking up and moving vehicle identification module, a placing and moving vehicle identification module and a placing space detection module. The picking up method includes the following steps:

[0036] 1) AGV arrives at the storage site;

[0037] 2) Take photos and calculate the front-to-back and left-to-right deviations of the pallet;

[0038] 3) Extend the forklift arm, adjust the telescopic range, and move the vehicle forward and backward;

[0039] 4) Pickup is successful;

[0040] 5) Take photos of goods placed on the shelves;

[0041] 6) Calculate the offset and storage space relative to the storage location;

[0042] 7) If there is insufficient space for cargo, the vehicle will report an error;

[0043] 8) There is enough space for loading, the forklift forks are extended, the telescopic amount is adjusted, and the vehicle is moved forward and backward;

[0044] 9) Goods released successfully.

[0045] Furthermore, the cargo pickup and vehicle moving identification module is used to identify the position of the pallet relative to the forklift and the overall cargo width, and to finally pick up the cargo in the center by adjusting the fork arm extension and the wheel moving posture. At this time, it is necessary to record the offset of the cargo on the fork arm.

[0046] Furthermore, the cargo placement and vehicle moving recognition module adjusts the current cargo placement position by identifying the distance of the cargo in the adjacent storage location on the shelf, such as Figure 3 As shown in the figure, the three-way forklift needs to put the goods at the C warehouse. The forklift has already driven to the C warehouse. At this time, the distance d1 to the right edge object calculated by the point cloud obtained by the radar, and then according to the preset warehouse gap x1 and the cargo width w1 on the fork arm saved in the system, through the above information, it can be confirmed that the distance the three-way forklift needs to move is:

[0047] X=d1-w1 / 2-x1, and the front-to-back distance y between the forklift and the shelf is calculated through the shelf crossbeam, and finally the goods are accurately picked up and placed by extending and retracting the fork arm and moving the forklift forward and backward.

[0048] Assuming that the goods need to be placed in storage location B, there is no goods in storage location C, but there are goods in storage location D, then the distance that the three-way forklift needs to move the car is X=d1-(w1 / 2+x1) / 2.

[0049] Similarly, assuming that the goods need to be placed in storage location A, and there are no goods in storage locations B and C, but there are goods in storage location D, then the distance that the three-way forklift needs to move the car is X=d1-(w1 / 2+x1) / 2.

[0050] Note: The distance d1 is calculated by scanning from the origin to the right until the goods or pillars are scanned as the termination condition, and finally converted into the distance d1.

[0051] Furthermore, the cargo release space detection module identifies the cargo release space of the target storage location through the radar under the fork arm to confirm whether the cargo release conditions are met. If not, an alarm will be directly issued.

[0052] Furthermore, the cargo pickup and vehicle moving identification module also includes: after the forklift arrives at the target warehouse location, the fork arm is lifted to take a photo, the point cloud information of the object in front is obtained, the carrier plane is extracted through point cloud screening and RANSAC algorithm, fine-grained positioning is performed based on the plane information, the front and back and left and right postures of the carrier are obtained, and the excess amount of the goods on the left and right sides exceeding the pallet is calculated using the carrier position, and recorded in the system, such as Figure 4 As shown, during the release identification process, the gap d between the left and right storage locations is calculated to confirm whether the release requirements are met. If not, an error is reported.

[0053] Assume that one side is a column, such as Figure 5 As shown, the distance d from the edge of cargo A to the edge of the column is calculated to confirm whether the requirements for cargo release are met.

[0054] Furthermore, the radar is below the bottom of the pallet when placing goods, and the radar low-level placement can more accurately detect the actual situation of the shelf storage location. Because the radar is located below the bottom of the pallet, it can more directly sense the gap between the shelf and the pallet, as well as possible obstacles. This precise detection capability allows the forklift to more accurately locate the target storage location during the placement process, avoiding problems such as damage to goods or deformation of shelves due to position deviation.

[0055] It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the invention is not limited to the details of the exemplary embodiments described above and that the invention can be implemented in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential features of the invention. Therefore, the embodiments should be considered exemplary and non-limiting in all respects, and the scope of the invention is defined by the appended claims rather than the foregoing description, and it is intended that all variations falling within the meaning and scope of the equivalent elements of the claims be included in the invention. Any reference numeral in a claim should not be considered as limiting the claim to which it relates.

Claims

1. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift, characterized in that: The invention comprises a method for picking up goods, an identification system and a telescopic radar installed under the fork arm. The identification system comprises a picking up and moving vehicle identification module, a placing and moving vehicle identification module and a placing space detection module. The method for picking up goods comprises the following steps: 1) AGV arrives at the storage site; 2) Take photos and calculate the front-to-back and left-to-right deviations of the pallet; 3) Extend the forklift arm, adjust the telescopic range, and move the vehicle forward and backward; 4) Pickup is successful; 5) Take photos of goods placed on the shelves; 6) Calculate the offset and storage space relative to the storage location; 7) If there is insufficient space for cargo, the vehicle will report an error; 8) There is enough space for loading, the forklift forks are extended, the telescopic amount is adjusted, and the vehicle is moved forward and backward; 9) Goods released successfully.

2. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pickup and vehicle moving identification module is used to identify the position of the pallet relative to the forklift and the overall cargo width, and to finally pick up the cargo in the center by adjusting the fork arm extension and the wheel movement posture. At this time, the offset of the cargo on the fork arm needs to be recorded.

3. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cargo placement and vehicle moving identification module adjusts the current cargo placement position by identifying the distance between the cargoes in the adjacent storage locations on the shelf.

4. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The cargo release space detection module identifies the cargo release space of the target storage location through the radar under the fork arm to confirm whether the cargo release conditions are met, and directly alarms if they are not met.

5. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The pickup and vehicle moving identification module also includes: after the forklift arrives at the target warehouse location, the fork arm is lifted to take pictures, and the point cloud information of the object in front is obtained. The vehicle plane is extracted through point cloud screening and RANSAC algorithm, and fine-grained positioning is performed according to the plane information to obtain the front and back and left and right postures of the vehicle. The excess amount of goods on the left and right sides that exceeds the pallet is calculated using the vehicle position and recorded in the system.

6. A method for picking up and placing goods at a high position by a three-way forklift according to claim 1, characterized in that: The radar is below the bottom of the pallet when the goods are released.

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