Autonomous Cargo Platform With Hydraulic Stabilization for Trailer Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing trucking process is inefficient due to the significant time spent on loading and unloading cargo from semi-trailers at loading docks, which hampers labor efficiency, truck utilization, and overall route lead time.
Innovation Solution
An automated platform that can autonomously move around a loading dock, trailer, and dock leveler to transport goods, load onto trailers, and unload at destination sites, utilizing omni-directional wheels, hydraulic legs for stabilization, and sensors for navigation and obstacle avoidance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If forklifts are used to load trucks one pallet at a time, then loading and unloading can be performed, but the time required for loading and unloading increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the loading/unloading task into multiple autonomous mobile robots that work in parallel, rather than using a single forklift sequentially. Each robot is equipped with sensors and can independently navigate to load or unload pallets simultaneously, thereby reducing total operation time while maintaining high productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The autonomous mobile robots are equipped with sensors, navigation systems, and automated control that enable them to perform loading and unloading operations independently without human intervention. The robots can autonomously navigate to the truck, position themselves, and execute pallet transfer operations, eliminating the time-consuming manual operation phase while maintaining efficient throughput.
2Productivity
If manual loading and unloading operations are used, then flexibility in operation is maintained, but labor costs and time consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile robots are designed as multi-functional units that can perform multiple operations including autonomous navigation, pallet gripping, truck positioning, and load/unload execution. This universal design allows a single robot type to handle various loading scenarios, reducing the need for multiple specialized devices while maintaining operational flexibility and efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates sensors and control systems that continuously monitor the robot's position, the truck's location, and the loading/unloading progress. This feedback mechanism allows the autonomous robots to adjust their operations in real-time, maintaining flexibility and adaptability while automating the process, thereby improving productivity without requiring overly complex manual intervention systems.
Data Source
AI summary
In various embodiments, an automated platform may autonomously move around a site, loading dock, dock leveler, and/or trailer to transport goods. In one or more embodiments, the automated platform may be loaded with goods and, once loaded, navigate a path from a loading area onto a trailer autonomously. In some embodiments, once the automated platform is loaded onto the trailer, the automated platform may utilize hydraulics to extend legs to the ground with enough force so that the automated platform wheels are not touching the ground in the trailer, which stabilizes the automated platform while it is being hauled to a different site. In at least one embodiment, once the trailer is at the different site, the automated platform may autonomously unload itself out of the trailer and navigate over a dock leveler, through the loading dock, and to an unloading area.