Autonomous Fork Side-Shift for Precise Trailer Pallet Unloading
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Solution Overview
Problem
Autonomous mobile robots face challenges in precisely placing pallets in confined trailer spaces due to limited room and the need for precise alignment to avoid collisions with trailer walls, door edges, or other pallets.
Innovation Solution
The autonomous mobile robot determines the pose of a trailer relative to a facility's pose, navigates to a drop position, and uses sensors to detect contact with the trailer wall, allowing it to side-shift the fork to align the pallet correctly before dropping it. This process is repeated for loading and unloading pallets, even in scenarios where space constraints limit the robot's ability to fully accommodate itself within the trailer.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If standard forklifts operated by skilled workers are used to place pallets in trailers, then precise pallet placement can be achieved, but the operation requires human skill and experience, reducing automation level
Solution Approach 1:
The autonomous mobile robot performs pallet placement operations independently without human intervention. The robot uses its own sensors to detect trailer walls and boundaries, processes spatial information to determine optimal placement positions, and executes the placement task autonomously, making the system self-sufficient in confined trailer spaces
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical skill-based operation of human forklift operators with an autonomous control system that uses sensors (LIDAR, cameras, ultrasonic sensors) and computational algorithms to detect, process, and execute pallet placement, substituting human mechanical skill with automated sensing and control mechanisms
2Manufacturing precision
If the autonomous mobile robot enters the trailer to position the pallet, then precise placement can be achieved, but the robot may not have sufficient space to fully accommodate itself when loading/unloading the first/last few rows
Solution Approach 1:
The robot performs partial entry into the trailer, positioning only the necessary components (forks and sensors) inside the trailer while keeping the main body outside. This partial action allows the robot to achieve precise pallet placement without requiring full accommodation of the robot volume within the confined trailer space
Solution Approach 2:
The robot separates the placement function from the robot body, using only the essential components (forks for carrying and sensors for detection) to enter the trailer while the main body remains outside. This segmentation allows the placement task to be completed with minimal space requirements inside the trailer
3Manufacturing precision
If the robot side-shifts the fork to align with the pallet, then precise alignment can be achieved, but the robot needs additional space for side-shifting movement
Solution Approach 1:
The robot employs dynamic side-shifting of the fork relative to the robot body, allowing the fork to move laterally to align with the pallet while the robot body remains relatively stationary or makes minimal adjustments. This dynamic adjustment enables precise alignment without requiring the entire robot to move, conserving maneuvering space in confined areas
Solution Approach 2:
The robot performs alignment in the lateral dimension through fork side-shifting rather than requiring movement in the longitudinal dimension. By resolving the alignment problem in a different dimensional direction (lateral vs. forward), the robot achieves precise positioning without needing additional forward space for maneuvering
Data Source
AI summary
Unloading pallets from a trailer using an autonomous mobile robot. The robot determines a pose of the trailer and a pose of each observable pallet inside. The robot identifies a target pallet for retrieval based on the observed poses and determines a front plane for the pallets in the same row as the target pallet. The robot navigates to a first goal position, side-shifts its fork to align the fork with the target pallet's pockets, inserts the fork, and lifts the pallet. The robot then navigates in reverse to a second goal position, determined based on the front plane and trailer pose. From the second position, the robot proceeds to a drop-off point in a staging area, side-shifting the fork towards the center during transit.