Forklift Route Correction for Pallet Pickup Position and Angle Errors
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned forklifts face inefficiencies in conveying loads due to errors in pallet positioning and angle alignment, leading to increased cycle times and potential load instability, as existing technologies require time-consuming lateral shifting and sensing processes.
Innovation Solution
A forklift apparatus equipped with an error prediction unit to predict positional and angle errors after picking up a pallet, a travel route correction unit to adjust the route to offset these errors, and a conveyance travel control unit to guide the pallet along the corrected route, allowing for quick and accurate conveyance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If lateral shifting and sensing processes are performed to correct pallet positioning errors, then positioning precision is improved, but cycle time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary sensing of pallet position and angle errors before the forklift picks up the pallet. The error prediction unit calculates positioning and angle errors in advance, allowing the travel route to be corrected beforehand rather than requiring time-consuming lateral shifting operations after pickup.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention replaces the mechanical lateral shifting mechanism with a computational approach. Instead of physically shifting the forklift laterally to correct positioning errors, the system uses the error prediction unit to calculate errors and the travel route correction unit to adjust the travel path, substituting mechanical adjustment with computational correction.
2Measurement precision
If multiple sensing processes and fork adjustments are performed, then pallet pickup accuracy is improved, but productivity decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The sensing and error calculation processes are performed in advance before the forklift picks up the pallet. The error prediction unit computes positioning and angle errors based on preliminary sensor data, allowing all necessary measurements and calculations to be completed before the pickup operation begins.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention merges multiple separate operations (sensing, error calculation, route correction) into an integrated process. Instead of performing sensing, calculation, and mechanical adjustment as separate sequential steps, the system combines these functions into a unified error prediction and travel route correction mechanism that operates continuously and efficiently.
3Manufacturing precision
If error correction operations are performed after pallet pickup, then stacking position accuracy is improved, but conveyance time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs error prediction and travel route correction in advance before the forklift picks up the pallet. By calculating the positioning and angle errors beforehand and adjusting the travel route accordingly, the system ensures accurate stacking without requiring post-pickup correction operations that would extend conveyance time.
Solution Approach 2:
The error prediction unit provides feedback information about anticipated positioning and angle errors, which the travel route correction unit uses to adjust the travel path. This feedback mechanism allows the system to proactively compensate for expected errors rather than reacting to them after the pallet is already picked up.
Data Source
AI summary
A forklift apparatus includes: an error prediction unit configured to predict a first positional error which is a positional error after picking-up between a standard position of a fork and a central position of a pallet on the fork after the pallet is picked up and a first angle error which is an angle error after picking-up with respect to the fork in the pallet; a travel route correction unit configured to correct a travel route from a picking-up position of the pallet to a stacking position of the pallet to offset the first positional error and the first angle error when the pallet is stacked; and a conveyance travel control unit configured to perform travel control such that the pallet is conveyed along the corrected travel route.