Automatic Forklift Abnormality Detection During Pallet Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing forklift systems struggle to accurately recognize their own position and stack pallets without causing load collapse, often requiring costly sensors and leading to potential pallet misplacement or entanglement with adjacent objects.
Innovation Solution
A control method and system for forklifts that utilize load and lift height sensors to detect abnormalities during pallet unloading, determining if conditions such as insufficient load or incorrect lift height are met, and adjusting operations to prevent load collapse by resuming or stopping unloading attempts.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If mark detection sensors are mounted on the forklift to detect pallet marks, then pallet stacking accuracy is improved, but device cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses mark detection sensors to detect marks on pallets, creating a visual copy or representation of the pallet position and orientation. This allows the forklift control system to understand the pallet layout without requiring complex mechanical measurement systems, achieving accurate stacking while keeping device costs relatively low.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces complex mechanical positioning systems with an optical sensing system that detects marks on pallets. The mark detection sensors use optical fields rather than mechanical contact or complex mechanical measurement devices to determine pallet positions, thereby reducing device complexity while maintaining stacking accuracy.
2Productivity
If the forklift operates autonomously without human intervention, then productivity increases, but the risk of load collapse due to positioning errors increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where mark detection sensors continuously monitor pallet positions during autonomous operation. The control system uses this feedback information to adjust the forklift's positioning and stacking actions in real-time, ensuring that autonomous operations maintain both high productivity and load stability by correcting positioning errors before they cause collapse.
3Productivity
If the forklift lowers the fork quickly to improve operation speed, then productivity increases, but the risk of pallet misplacement or load collapse increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic control to the forklift's lowering operation, where the lowering speed is not fixed but adjusted based on real-time feedback from mark detection sensors and the forklift's current position relative to the target pallet. This allows the system to maintain high overall productivity while ensuring precise placement by slowing down only when necessary during the stacking process.
Data Source
AI summary
A control system configured to control a forklift to unload a transport pallet onto an unloading place includes a control device configured to control at least one of movement of the forklift and horizontal movement of a fork, the forklift including a load sensor configured to detect load of an item placed on the fork, and a lift height sensor configured to detect a lift height of the fork, control raising and lowering of the fork, acquire load information of the transport pallet placed on the fork and lift height range information, the lift height range information indicating a lift height range, the lift height range being a range of height in which the fork is able to be inserted when unloading onto the unloading place is successful, and determine whether an abnormality is present.