Forklift Guidance Using Rack Upright Positioning in Narrow Aisles
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing guidance systems for industrial trucks in rack warehouses, such as rail and inductive guidance systems, face challenges in installation effort and reliability, especially in narrow-aisle environments where shelf structures and stored goods can obstruct navigation and change frequently.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a sensor unit for recording vehicle position data, a shelf stand determination unit for pre-stored shelf positions, a computing unit for calculating a desired route, and a control unit for guiding the truck, which uses fixed shelf positions and contour detection to adapt the route and avoid collisions, reducing installation effort and ensuring reliable navigation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If rail guidance systems are used, then reliable guidance is achieved, but guide rails must be installed in all rack aisles which prevents goods from being placed directly on the floor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the guidance function from the physical rail infrastructure and relocates it to the truck itself through onboard sensors and navigation systems. This eliminates the need for guide rails in rack aisles, allowing goods to be placed directly on the floor while maintaining reliable guidance through electronic navigation and obstacle detection systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the mechanical rail guidance system with an electronic navigation system using onboard sensors, processors, and communication modules. This substitution eliminates the need for physical guide rails while providing reliable guidance through digital mapping, position tracking, and automated navigation algorithms.
2Ease of manufacture
If inductive guidance systems are used, then installation is easier without impeding load placement, but a significant amount of effort is required to install the guide wire in each rack aisle
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the guidance function from the floor-based guide wire infrastructure and relocates it to the truck through onboard sensors and navigation systems. This eliminates the need for guide wire installation in each rack aisle while maintaining reliable guidance through electronic navigation, sensor-based obstacle detection, and automated route planning.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the inductive guide wire system with an electronic navigation system using onboard sensors, processors, and communication modules. This substitution eliminates the need for guide wire installation while providing reliable guidance through digital mapping, position tracking, and real-time obstacle detection.
3Reliability
If navigation systems using sensors to detect objects are used, then collision-free movement can be planned, but fixed rack structures may be obscured by stored goods and goods contours can change rapidly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by creating and storing digital maps of the rack warehouse structure before operation. These pre-stored structural information and navigation rules provide a baseline framework that simplifies real-time navigation, reducing the complexity of continuously detecting and processing changing goods contours while maintaining reliable collision-free movement.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where onboard sensors continuously detect the truck's position and surrounding obstacles, and this information is fed back to the navigation system for real-time route adjustment. This closed-loop control maintains reliable collision-free navigation while managing system complexity through adaptive response to changing conditions.
Data Source
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AI summary
System 10 for guiding a forklift 50 in a rack storage system, the rack storage system comprising a plurality of uprights 80-85, the system 10 comprising: a sensor unit 12 configured to acquire vehicle position data representing a relative or absolute instantaneous position of the forklift 50; an upright determination unit 14 configured to determine at least one upright 80-85 expected to be encountered when the forklift 50 continues its journey, as well as upright position data representing a relative or absolute position of the at least one upright 80-85; a computing unit 20 configured to communicate with the sensor unit 12 and the upright determination unit 14 and to calculate a desired route 60; 64 of the forklift 50 based on the vehicle position data and the upright position data;and a control unit 30, which is configured to guide the industrial truck 50 based on the desired route 60; 64.;