Forklift

Abstract

Disclosed in the present application is a forklift, comprising a forklift body, a first 3D laser radar and a second 3D laser radar, wherein the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are respectively mounted on different mounting faces at the top of the forklift body, such that a scanning area of the first 3D laser radar and a scanning area of the second 3D laser radar are mutually independent or partially overlapped.

Description

Forklift and Related Application Cross-Reference

[0000] This application claims priority to Chinese Patent Application No. 202323371848.9, filed on December 11, 2023, the entire content of which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of this application relate to the technical field of goods transportation, and particularly to a forklift. Background Art

[0002] A forklift is an industrial vehicle used for handling and stacking items. It usually has a fork that can be lifted and lowered for grasping and transporting goods. With the technological improvement in the forklift field, intelligent forklifts have gradually emerged in the market, such as AGV forklifts (Automated Guided Vehicle Forklifts). An AGV forklift is a driverless forklift that autonomously navigates and performs handling tasks through a built-in navigation system and sensors. They can autonomously navigate and operate according to preset paths and tasks without manual operation. Summary of the Invention

[0003] Embodiments of this application provide a forklift, including: a forklift body; and a first 3D lidar and a second 3D lidar, wherein the first 3D lidar and the second 3D lidar are respectively installed on different mounting surfaces at the top of the forklift body, so that the scanning areas of the first 3D lidar and the second 3D lidar are independent of each other or partially overlap. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0004] One or several embodiments are exemplarily illustrated by pictures in the corresponding drawings. These exemplary illustrations do not limit the embodiments. Elements with the same reference numerals in the drawings are represented as similar elements. Unless otherwise stated, the drawings in the figures do not constitute a scale limitation.

[0005] FIG. 1 is a first schematic structural diagram of a forklift provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0006] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of the scanning areas of each 3D lidar of a forklift provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0007] FIG. 3 is a second schematic structural diagram of a forklift provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0008] FIG. 4 is a third schematic structural diagram of a forklift provided by an embodiment of this application.

[0009] FIG. 5 is an enlarged view of part A in FIG. 3.

[0010] Figure 6 is a schematic structural view of an installation surface at the top of the forklift body provided in an embodiment of the present application.

[0011] Reference numeral description:

[0012] 100, forklift; 10, forklift body; 101, first side; 102, second side; 201, first 3D lidar; 202, second 3D lidar; 203, third 3D lidar; 30, fork arm; 40, support assembly; 410, mounting table; 411, first mounting surface; 4111, first edge; 4112, second edge; 412, second mounting surface; 4121, third edge; 4122, fourth edge; 420, column; 50, touch screen; 60, switch button; 70, three-color warning light; 80, emergency stop button; 90, manual charging interface; 110, automatic charging interface; 120, bottom obstacle avoidance lidar; 130, in-place switch; 140, fork tip safety sensor; 150, manual control handle; 160, outline light. Detailed implementation mode

[0013] To facilitate the understanding of the present application, the present application will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. It should be noted that when an element is expressed as "connected" to another element, it can be directly on the other element, or there can be one or several intermediate elements therebetween. The terms "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "upper end", "lower end", "top" and "bottom" etc. indicated in this specification refer to the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the present application and simplifying the description, rather than indicating or implying that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation to the present application. In addition, the terms "first", "second" etc. are only used for descriptive purposes and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance.

[0014] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used in this specification have the same meaning as commonly understood by those skilled in the technical field to which the present utility model belongs. The terms used in the specification of the present utility model are only for the purpose of describing specific embodiments and are not used to limit the present utility model.

[0015] AGV forklifts are usually equipped with various sensors, such as lidar. Through lidar, AGV forklifts can sense the surrounding environment, avoid hitting obstacles, and accurately position and navigate. Currently, forklifts use a single 3D lidar, whose point cloud scanning area and scanning density are limited. Therefore, there is still great room for improvement in positioning accuracy and three-dimensional protection.

[0016] This embodiment provides a forklift, which further optimizes the environmental perception system of the forklift, etc., so that the forklift can better sense the surrounding environment and improve positioning functions and three-dimensional protection functions, etc.

[0017] Referring to FIG. 1, the forklift 100 of the embodiment of the present application includes a forklift body 10, a first 3D lidar 201 and a second 3D lidar 202 for scanning the surrounding environment area of the forklift body 10. The first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are respectively installed on different mounting surfaces at the top of the forklift body 10, so that the scanning area of the first 3D lidar 201 and the scanning area of the second 3D lidar 202 are independent of each other or partially overlapped.

[0018] Referring to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 shows the scanning area S1 of the first 3D lidar 201 and the scanning area S2 of the second 3D lidar 202. Exemplarily, the scanning area S1 of the first 3D lidar 201 and the scanning area S2 of the second 3D lidar 202 are partially overlapped. The scanning area of the 3D lidar in this embodiment includes the boundary area on its laser projection path, where the farther away from the 3D lidar, the larger the projection plane. The angle range involved in the scanning area of the 3D lidar is related to the own parameters of the 3D lidar. For example, the scanning angle range can be 1°.

[0019] The working principle of the forklift 100 in this embodiment is as follows: The first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are arranged at the top of the forklift body 10. The first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are respectively installed on different mounting surfaces, which can make the scanning areas of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 independent of each other or partially overlapped. Thus, the forklift 100 can obtain more point cloud data through the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202, and perform operations such as positioning and three-dimensional protection of the forklift 100 based on the point cloud data.

[0020] It can be understood that by providing the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 on the forklift 100 of this embodiment, more perspectives and scanning data can be obtained, thereby achieving a more comprehensive and accurate perception of the environment around the forklift 100. Through the point cloud data fusion of the two 3D lidars in this embodiment, the measurement errors and blind spots of a single 3D lidar can be eliminated, the accuracy of forklift position and attitude estimation can be improved, its positioning accuracy can meet higher requirements, and at the same time, the three-dimensional protection ability is also correspondingly improved.

[0021] In addition, by arranging the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 at different positions on the forklift 100, more comprehensive environmental information can be obtained, reducing the forklift positioning error. The data between the two 3D lidars complement each other, which can provide more accurate map construction and path planning, thereby achieving more precise positioning and navigation.

[0022] The forklift body 10 of this embodiment includes the body of the forklift 100, and also includes a control module, a power module, a power module, a communication module, etc. Among them, the control module includes a controller and a driver. The controller is responsible for the overall motion control and task scheduling of the forklift 100, and drives the power module to perform corresponding operations through the driver, such as forklift driving, fork arm 30 lifting, etc. In this embodiment, 3D lidar is used to form point cloud data. The controller plans the driving path of the forklift 100 according to the point cloud data, and drives the power module through the driver to make the forklift 100 travel along the driving path. The power module includes a battery pack and related circuits for supplying power to each power-consuming module of the forklift 100. The power module includes a hydraulic mechanism for lifting goods, an electric motor for driving the wheel group to travel, etc. The communication module is used for data interaction and instruction transmission with other devices or systems. The communication module can adopt a wireless communication module, such as a Wi-Fi module, a Bluetooth module, etc., or a wired communication module, such as an Ethernet, a CAN bus, etc.

[0023] In other embodiments, the number of 3D lidars located on the top of the forklift 100 is not limited to two. The corresponding number of 3D lidars can be configured according to actual needs, and each 3D lidar scans the corresponding area.

[0024] In some embodiments, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 may have the same specification parameters or different specification parameters. The specification parameters include measurement range, angular resolution, field of view, data point density, measurement accuracy, scanning speed, etc. It can be understood that using the same specification parameters can keep the point cloud data of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 consistent, which is beneficial to the fusion processing of the point cloud data of the two. While using a combination of 3D lidars with different specification parameters is beneficial to cost savings while meeting actual requirements.

[0025] Referring to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the forklift body 10 includes a first side 101 and a second side 102 that face away from each other. The forklift 100 further includes a fork arm 30. The fork arm 30 is connected to the forklift body 10 and is located on the first side 101. The scanning area of the first 3D lidar 201 includes the front and obliquely upper area of the second side 102. The scanning area of the second 3D lidar 202 includes the front area of the second side 102.

[0026] In this embodiment, the first side 101 and the second side 102 are two sides of the forklift body 10 that face away from each other. The fork arm 30 is connected to the first side 101 of the forklift body 10. During the towing and driving process of the forklift 100, the front of the second side 102 is the traveling direction. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are installed on the top of the forklift body 10, and the scanning area of the first 3D lidar 201 includes the front and obliquely upper area of the second side 102, and the scanning area of the second 3D lidar 202 includes the front area of the second side 102, which can expand the coverage range of the point cloud, make up for the scanning blind area of a single 3D lidar, and enable the forklift 100 to perform self-positioning and sense the environment in front during the towing and driving process, realizing a non-blind area coverage of the three-dimensional protection of the upper and middle areas in front of the forklift body 10.

[0027] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a moving method for a forklift. This method is applied to the above-mentioned forklift 100, and the method includes: when the forklift 100 realizes the positioning function, the forklift 100 uses at least the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201 as the main judgment basis, and uses the point cloud data scanned by the second 3D lidar 202 as a supplement; and / or when the forklift 100 realizes the three-dimensional protection function, the forklift 100 uses at least the point cloud data scanned by the second 3D lidar 202 as the main judgment basis, and uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201 as a supplement. In other embodiments, when the forklift 100 realizes the positioning function, the forklift 100 uses at least the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201 as the judgment basis. In still other embodiments, the forklift 100 uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 as the judgment basis; and / or when the forklift 100 realizes the three-dimensional protection function, the forklift 100 uses at least the point cloud data scanned by the second 3D lidar 202 as the judgment basis. In still other embodiments, the forklift 100 uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 as the judgment basis.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes a third 3D lidar 203. The third 3D lidar 203 is disposed at the middle position of the forklift body 10 along the vertical direction Z, and the third 3D lidar 203 is installed on the first side 101 of the forklift body 10. The scanning area of the third 3D lidar 203 includes the front lower oblique area of the first side 101. In other embodiments, when the forklift 100 realizes the positioning function, the forklift 100 uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201, the second 3D lidar 202, and the third lidar 203 as the judgment basis; and / or when the forklift 100 realizes the three-dimensional protection function, the forklift 100 uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D lidar 201, the second 3D lidar 202, and the third lidar 203 as the judgment basis.

[0029] Referring back to FIG. 2, FIG. 2 further shows the scanning area S3 of the third 3D lidar 203. The scanning area S3 covers the front lower oblique of the first side 101 and covers part of the fork arm 30 or completely covers the fork arm 30.

[0030] In some embodiments, the present application further provides a handling method for a forklift, which is applied to the above-mentioned forklift 100. The method includes: the forklift 100 picks up goods with the front of the first side 101 of the forklift 100 as the traveling direction, so that the fork arms 30 of the forklift 100 located on the first side 101 pick up the pallet; the forklift 100 obtains point cloud data through the third 3D lidar 203 installed on the first side 101 of the forklift body 10 to judge the state of the fork arms 30, the state of the pallet, and the state of the goods on the pallet, and provides feedback to adjust the forklift 100; the forklift 100 drives away with the front of the second side 102 of the forklift 100 as the traveling direction, and adjusts the traveling path of the forklift 100 according to the point cloud data obtained by the first 3D lidar, the second 3D lidar, and the third 3D lidar, where the first side and the second side are in opposite directions. Among them, providing feedback to adjust the forklift 100 includes: judging whether the fork arms 30 pick up the pallet in place according to the point cloud data obtained by the third 3D lidar 203; when it is judged that the pallet or the goods are abnormal according to the point cloud data obtained by the third 3D lidar 203, providing feedback and stopping the driving action of the forklift 100, and adjusting the posture of the fork arms 30. Specifically, when the forklift 100 picks up goods in this embodiment, with the front of the first side 101 as the traveling direction, the fork arms 30 pick up the pallet. The forklift 100 can obtain point cloud data through the third 3D lidar 203, sense the front lower oblique area of the first side 101 (the side where the fork arms 30 are located), and judge whether the fork arms 30 pick up the pallet in place according to the point cloud data obtained by the third 3D lidar 203. At the same time, it monitors the state of the goods on the pallet, stops the driving action when the pallet or the goods are abnormal, and timely adjusts the posture of the fork arms 30 and provides feedback, alarms, etc. In addition, when the forklift 100 travels with the front of the second side 102 as the traveling direction, the third 3D lidar 203 can sense the environment in the front lower oblique area of the first side 101, obtain point cloud data and send it to the control module, so that the control module can perform operations such as path adjustment according to the point cloud data.

[0031] Referring back to FIG. 1, in some embodiments, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are aligned in the width direction X of the forklift body 10.

[0032] It can be understood that, when the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 have different scanning directions, by reducing the spacing between the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 in the width direction X of the forklift body 10, it is beneficial to calibrate and complement each other when the point cloud data of the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are fused, thereby improving the accuracy of the position and posture estimation of the forklift 100. In some embodiments, when the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are aligned in the width direction X of the forklift body 10 (or the spacing is zero), the coordinate alignment operation of the two 3D laser radars can be facilitated, thereby optimizing the operation process of the point cloud data fusion.

[0033] Referring back to FIG. 1 , in some embodiments, the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are both disposed at the middle position of the forklift body 10 along the width direction X.

[0034] It is understood that when the forklift 100 uses a single 3D laser radar, the 3D laser radar is generally arranged on the forklift 100. The 3D laser radar is located on one side of the top of the forklift 100 and is suspended above the forklift 100 in a bird's-eye view, so that its scanning area covers the forklift body 10, the fork arm 30 and the surrounding environment of the forklift 100, so as to realize the perception, positioning and safety protection of the forklift 100. However, the scanning area of ​​the 3D laser radar is ultimately projected on the ground, so the scanning area acting on the surrounding environment of the forklift 100 is relatively small, and the point cloud data that can be obtained is relatively small. In this embodiment, the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are both arranged in the middle position of the forklift body 10 along the width direction X, so that the scanning areas are respectively located in the front upper oblique direction and in front of the second side 102. Therefore, the scanning areas of the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are only limited by the measurement range and field angle of the 3D laser radar, that is, the scanning areas of the first 3D laser radar 201 and the second 3D laser radar 202 are wider and farther, the scanning area acting on the surrounding environment of the forklift 100 is increased, and the obtainable point cloud data is also increased accordingly. In addition, the area in the front lower oblique direction of the first side 101 (the side where the fork arm 30 is located) is scanned by the third 3D laser radar 203, which can also improve the perception, positioning and safety protection capabilities of the forklift 100.

[0035] In addition, in this embodiment, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are both arranged at the middle position of the forklift body 10 along the width direction X, which can reduce the size difference of the environmental areas sensed on the left and right sides in the traveling direction of the forklift 100, facilitating the forklift 100 to plan the driving path according to the fused point cloud data. Exemplarily, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are both centrally arranged on the forklift body 10 along the width direction X.

[0036] In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 6, the top of the forklift body 10 includes a first mounting surface 411 and a second mounting surface 412. The first mounting surface 411 is located on the top surface of the forklift body 10, and the second mounting surface 412 is located on the second side 102 of the forklift body 10. The first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are respectively mounted on the first mounting surface 411 and the second mounting surface 412. Further, referring to FIGS. 1, 3 to 5, in some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes a support assembly 40. The support assembly 40 is arranged on the top of the forklift body 10, and the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are respectively mounted on different mounting surfaces of the support assembly 40.

[0037] It can be understood that in this embodiment, the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are placed above the forklift body 10 through the support assembly 40, which can avoid being blocked by the forklift body 10, thereby reducing the scanning blind area of the 3D lidar.

[0038] Exemplarily, the support assembly 40 includes a column 420 and a mounting table 410. The column 420 is located on the top of the forklift body 10 and is fixedly connected to the forklift body 10. The column 420 is connected to the mounting table 410. Specifically, the column 420 is detachably connected to the mounting table 410, and the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 are respectively mounted on different mounting surfaces of the mounting table 410. In some embodiments, the mounting table 410 can move relative to the column 420 along the vertical direction Z. In this embodiment, the mounting table 410 is fixedly connected to the top end of the column 420. Since the mounting table 410 can move relative to the column 420 along the vertical direction Z, it is convenient for the forklift equipped with the mounting table 410 and the column 420 to pass through low areas, thereby improving the applicable range of the forklift.

[0039] Referring to FIG. 5, in some embodiments, the mounting platform 410 of the support assembly 40 includes a first mounting surface 411 and a second mounting surface 412. The first 3D lidar 201 is mounted on the first mounting surface 411, and the second 3D lidar 202 is mounted on the second mounting surface 412.

[0040] The first mounting surface 411 and the second mounting surface 412 located at the top of the forklift body 10 can be two connected surfaces or two non - adjacent surfaces.

[0041] Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the ball head of the first 3D lidar 201 is disposed on the first mounting surface 411, and the central axis of the ball head of the first 3D lidar 201 is perpendicular to the first mounting surface 411. The ball head of the second 3D lidar 202 is disposed on the second mounting surface 412, and the central axis of the ball head of the second 3D lidar 202 is perpendicular to the second mounting surface 412.

[0042] It can be understood that the sensing module of the 3D lidar in this embodiment adopts a spherical structure, and a laser emitter, a laser receiver, etc. are arranged inside, which can achieve omnidirectional scanning coverage. In addition, the central axis of the ball head of each of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 in this embodiment is perpendicular to the corresponding mounting surface, so that the field - of - view central axis L1 of the first 3D lidar 201 is perpendicular to the first mounting surface 411, and the field - of - view central axis L2 of the second 3D lidar 202 is perpendicular to the second mounting surface 412. Thus, the 3D lidar can scan the surrounding environment evenly on their respective corresponding mounting surfaces, which is beneficial to reducing the scanning blind area. In addition, the design angle information of the determined mounting surface can be directly applied to the azimuth calculation of the forklift 100 positioning and the target obstacle positioning, thereby reducing complex data conversion.

[0043] In some embodiments, an angle α is formed between the first 3D lidar 201 and the horizontal plane, and the angle α is 0 - 25°; and / or an angle β is formed between the second 3D lidar 202 and the vertical plane, and the angle β is 0 - 15°.

[0044] It can be understood that in some special terrains or environments, it may be necessary to install the 3D lidar obliquely to better sense the surrounding obstacles or terrain changes. This embodiment provides the installation angle ranges of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 respectively, so that the forklift 100 can adapt to different terrains or environments.

[0045] In some embodiments, the angles between the first 3D lidar 201 and the horizontal plane and between the second 3D lidar 202 and the vertical plane are both fixed. The installation angle between the first 3D lidar 201 and the horizontal plane is configured to be 24°, and the installation angle between the second 3D lidar 202 and the vertical plane is configured to be 7°.

[0046] In other embodiments, the angles between the first 3D lidar 201 and the horizontal plane and between the second 3D lidar 202 and the vertical plane are both adjustable. Exemplarily, one way is that both the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 can be movably installed on the top of the forklift body 10. By adjusting the angles of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 relative to the forklift body 10, the angles between the first 3D lidar 201 and the horizontal plane and between the second 3D lidar 202 and the vertical plane can be made adjustable. Specifically, both the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 can be movably installed on the mounting table 410; Another way is that the first mounting surface 411 and the second mounting surface 412 on the top of the forklift body 10 (such as the mounting table 410) are both movable mounting surfaces. By adjusting the angles of the first mounting surface 411 and the second mounting surface 412 respectively, the scanning areas of the first 3D lidar 201 and the second 3D lidar 202 can be adjusted.

[0047] Referring back to FIGS. 5 and 6, in some embodiments, the first mounting surface 411 and the second mounting surface 412 are two connected surfaces. Among them, the first mounting surface 411 includes a first edge portion 4111 and a second edge portion 4112 that are oppositely arranged, the second mounting surface 412 includes a third edge portion 4121 and a fourth edge portion 4122 that are oppositely arranged, and the second edge portion 4112 is adjacent to the third edge portion 4121. The first edge portion 4111, the second edge portion 4112, the third edge portion 4121, and the fourth edge portion 4122 are all parallel to the width direction X of the forklift body 10.

[0048] In some embodiments, the first mounting surface 411 is a horizontal mounting surface. In other embodiments, the first mounting surface 411 is an inclined surface that slopes from the first edge portion 4111 to the second edge portion 4112. The height of the first edge portion 4111 is greater than the height of the second edge portion 4112, and the second edge portion 4112 is closer to the second side 102 of the forklift body 10 than the first edge portion 4111, so that the field-of-view central axis L1 of the first 3D lidar 201 faces the upper front of the second side 102 of the forklift body 10, thereby making the scanning area of the first 3D lidar 201 include the upper front area of the second side 102.

[0049] In some embodiments, the second mounting surface 412 is a vertical mounting surface. In other embodiments, the second mounting surface 412 is an inclined surface that slopes from the third edge portion 4121 to the fourth edge portion 4122. The height of the third edge portion 4121 is greater than the height of the fourth edge portion 4122, and the fourth edge portion 4122 is closer to the second side 102 of the forklift body 10 than the third edge portion 4121, so that the field-of-view central axis L1 of the first 3D lidar 201 intersects with the field-of-view central axis L2 of the second 3D lidar 202, and the overlapping portion of the scanning area of the second 3D lidar 202 and the scanning area of the first 3D lidar 201 increases, which is beneficial to the fusion of the point cloud data of the two.

[0050] Referring to FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, in some embodiments, the forklift 100 further includes a manual control handle 150, a touch screen 50, a three-color warning light 70, an emergency stop button 80, a voice announcer, an automatic charging interface 110, a contour light 160, a switch button 60, a manual charging interface 90, a bottom obstacle avoidance lidar 120, a position switch 130, a fork tip safety sensor 140, etc.

[0051] In this embodiment, the column 420 is provided with a fixing structure, and the manual control handle 150 can be placed on and removed from the column 420 through this fixing structure. The manual control handle 150 is electrically connected to the control module of the forklift body 10, and the operator can drive the forklift 100 by using the manual control handle 150. The touch screen 50 is installed on the column 420 and is electrically connected to the controller of the forklift body 10. The touch screen 50 is provided with software and systems for human-machine interaction. The operator can perform operations such as setting parameters of the forklift 100 and viewing the work log of the forklift 100 through the touch screen 50. The three-color warning light 70 is arranged on the body of the forklift body 10 and is electrically connected to the control module, and is used to represent different states of the forklift 100 through the color of the light. For example, the three-color warning light 70 displays a green light when the forklift 100 is running normally, an orange light when the forklift 100 is in an emergency stop state, and a red light when the forklift 100 breaks down. The emergency stop button 80 is arranged on the body of the forklift body 10 and is electrically connected to the control module. The operator can trigger the emergency stop button 80 to make the forklift 100 stop running emergently.

[0052] The voice broadcaster is installed inside the forklift body 10 and is electrically connected to the control module, and is used to provide voice alarms and broadcast operation information (such as "forward", "backward", "turn around", etc.). The automatic charging interface 110 is arranged at the bottom of the second side 102 of the forklift body 10. The automatic charging interface 110 is connected to the power module and is used to connect the forklift 100 to the charging device. Exemplarily, when the battery power of the forklift 100 is lower than a certain threshold, the forklift 100 returns to the charging station and is connected to the charging device through the automatic charging interface 110 to start the charging process. After the charging is completed, the forklift 100 will automatically disconnect from the charging device and return to continue working. In some embodiments, the manual charging interface 90 is arranged on the body of the forklift 100. The manual charging interface 90 is connected to the power module, and the operator can connect the forklift 100 to the charging device in a manual connection manner. The outline lights 160 are used to display the outline of the forklift 100 to remind the people around the forklift 100 to avoid the forklift 100, so as to play a role in safety protection. The outline lights 160 of this embodiment are installed on the mounting table 410. The switch button 60 is arranged on the top of the forklift body 10 and is electrically connected to the control module. The operator can send instructions to the control module by triggering the switch button 60 to turn on the forklift 100 or make the forklift 100 perform corresponding operations.

[0053] At the bottom of the forklift body 10, a bottom obstacle avoidance lidar 120 is provided. The bottom obstacle avoidance lidar 120 can be a 2D lidar. The bottom obstacle avoidance lidar 120 is connected to the control module and is used to sense the surrounding environment at the bottom of the forklift body 10, thereby reducing the scanning blind area around the forklift 100 and achieving a three-dimensional protection without blind area coverage in the lower and middle regions in front of the forklift body 10. The in-place switch 130 is arranged at the bottom of the first side 101 and is used in cooperation with the fork arm 30 to detect whether the pallet is in place when picking up the pallet. Exemplarily, the in-place switch 130 includes a contact sensor connected to the control module. The contact sensor sends an in-place signal to the control module when it contacts the pallet, so that the control module determines that the pallet is in place. The fork arm 30 includes a picking end and a fixed end. The fixed end is located on the first side 101 of the forklift body 10 and is connected to the forklift body 10. The picking end is used to pick up the pallet. The fork tip safety sensor 140 is arranged at the picking end of the fork arm 30 and is used to monitor the environment in front of the fork arm 30. Exemplarily, the fork tip safety sensor 140 includes a 2D lidar connected to the control module. The 2D lidar senses the environment in front of the fork arm 30 and generates point cloud data to be sent to the control module, so that the control module plans the driving path of the forklift 100, controls the fork arm 30 to pick up the pallet, etc.

[0054] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present application and are not intended to limit them; under the idea of the present application, the technical features in the above embodiments or different embodiments can also be combined, and the steps can be implemented in any order, and there are many other changes in different aspects of the present application as described above. For the sake of brevity, they are not provided in detail; although the present application has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those of ordinary skill in the art should understand that they can still modify the technical solutions recorded in the foregoing embodiments or equivalently replace some of the technical features; and these modifications or replacements do not make the essence of the corresponding technical solutions deviate from the scope of the technical solutions of the embodiments of the present application.

Claims

Claims 1. A forklift, comprising: Forklift body; And a first 3D laser radar and a second 3D laser radar, wherein the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are respectively installed on different installation surfaces on the top of the forklift body, so that the scanning area of ​​the first 3D laser radar and the scanning area of ​​the second 3D laser radar are independent of each other or partially overlap.

2. The forklift according to claim 1, further comprising a fork arm, wherein the fork arm is connected to the forklift body and is located on a first side of the forklift body; the scanning area of ​​the first 3D laser radar includes a front upper oblique area of ​​a second side of the forklift body, wherein the second side of the forklift body and the first side of the forklift body are opposite to each other; the scanning area of ​​the second 3D laser radar includes a front area of ​​the second side of the forklift body.

3. The forklift according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising: A third 3D laser radar, wherein the third 3D laser radar is installed on the first side of the forklift body, and the scanning area of ​​the third 3D laser radar includes the front oblique lower area of ​​the first side, and the first side is a side of the forklift body connected to the fork arm of the forklift.

4. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are aligned in the width direction of the forklift body.

5. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising: A support assembly, wherein the support assembly is arranged on the top of the forklift body, and the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are respectively installed on different installation surfaces of the support assembly.

6. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The top of the forklift body includes a first mounting surface and a second mounting surface; the ball head of the first 3D laser radar is arranged on the first mounting surface, and the central axis of the ball head of the first 3D laser radar is perpendicular to the first mounting surface; the ball head of the second 3D laser radar is arranged on the second mounting surface, and the central axis of the ball head of the second 3D laser radar is perpendicular to the second mounting surface.

7. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising: Controllers and drivers; Wherein, the controller is used for motion control, task scheduling and driving path planning of the forklift; The driver is used to drive the power mechanism of the forklift to perform corresponding operations.

8. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising: A column and a mounting platform, wherein the column is arranged on the top of the forklift body, the mounting platform is connected to the top of the column, and the mounting platform moves in a vertical direction relative to the column, wherein the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are respectively mounted on different mounting surfaces of the mounting platform.

9. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar are both movably installed on the top of the forklift body.

10. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein: An angle is formed between the first 3D laser radar and the horizontal plane, and the angle is 0-25°.

11. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: An angle is formed between the second 3D laser radar and the vertical plane, and the angle is 0-15°.

12. The forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein: The forklift also includes at least one of a manual control handle, a touch screen, a three-color warning light, an emergency stop button, a voice announcer, an automatic charging interface, a clearance light, a switch button, a manual charging interface, a bottom obstacle avoidance laser radar, an in-position switch, and a fork tip safety sensor.

13. The forklift according to claim 1, further comprises at least one of the following: a fork tip safety sensor disposed at the forking end of the fork arm of the forklift, the fork tip safety sensor being used to monitor the environment in front of the fork arm; an in-place switch disposed at the bottom of the first side of the forklift body, the in-place switch being used to detect whether the pallet is in place when the fork arm forks the pallet; and a bottom obstacle avoidance laser radar disposed at the bottom of the forklift body.

14. A method applied to a forklift, applied to the forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the method comprising: When the forklift realizes the positioning function, the forklift at least uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D laser radar as a basis for judgment; and / or when the forklift realizes the three-dimensional protection function, the forklift at least uses the point cloud data scanned by the second 3D laser radar as a basis for judgment.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The method includes: when the forklift realizes the positioning function, the forklift uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar as a judgment basis.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein: The forklift further comprises a third 3D laser radar installed on a first side of the forklift body, and the method comprises: when the forklift realizes a positioning function, the forklift uses the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar to The point cloud data scanned by the optical radar and the third 3D laser radar is used as the basis for judgment.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein: The method includes: when the forklift realizes the three-dimensional protection function, the forklift at least uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D laser radar and the second 3D laser radar as a judgment basis.

18. The method according to claim 17, wherein: The forklift also includes a third 3D laser radar installed on a first side of the forklift body, and the method includes: when the forklift realizes a three-dimensional protection function, the forklift uses the point cloud data scanned by the first 3D laser radar, the second 3D laser radar and the third 3D laser radar as a basis for judgment.

19. A method applied to a forklift, applied to the forklift according to any one of claims 1 to 13, the method comprising: The forklift picks up goods by moving in the direction of the front of the first side of the forklift, so that the fork arm of the forklift located at the first side picks up the pallet; The forklift obtains point cloud data through a third 3D laser radar installed on a first side of the forklift body to determine the state of the fork arm, the state of the pallet and the state of the goods on the pallet, and provides feedback to adjust the forklift; the forklift drives away with the front of the second side of the forklift as the travel direction, so as to adjust the travel path of the forklift according to the point cloud data obtained by the first 3D laser radar, the second 3D laser radar and the third 3D laser radar, wherein the first side is in opposite directions to the second side.

20. The method according to claim 19, wherein: The forklift obtains the point cloud data through the third 3D laser radar installed on the first side of the forklift body to determine the state of the fork arm, the state of the pallet and the state of the goods on the pallet, and provides feedback to adjust the forklift, including: judging whether the fork arm has forked the pallet in place according to the point cloud data obtained by the third 3D laser radar; when judging that the pallet or the goods are abnormal according to the point cloud data obtained by the third 3D laser radar, providing feedback and stopping the driving action of the forklift, and adjusting the posture of the fork arm.

Images