The autonomous forklift AFi-H from 4am Robotics demonstrated its capabilities during a test in Plattling with reference to a customer project from the automotive industry. During the test, it was able to independently pick up and transport large bumper containers and place them at the requested location.
The forklift's test task was to autonomously pick up and safely transport a large container filled with bumpers with dimensions of over 2m in width and length and an empty weight of 660 kg with additional goods weighing up to 150 kg. It can measure its payload through the weight detection of its sensor forks and manages to lift up to an impressive 1960 kg.
Thanks to its integrated barcode scanner, the AFi-H is able to identify the correct container to be transported. A particular challenge for the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) was to precisely hit and pick up the small entry pockets on the underside of the bumper container with its forks. With the precise control of the AFi-H, this was achieved effortlessly and the forklift was able to lift the container safely.
During transport, the autonomous forklift's integrated 3D cameras and 2D safety scanners continuously monitor the environment to detect, hold and safely react to potential obstacles. Particularly impressive was the AFi-H's backward drive and turning maneuver to gently place the bumper container at the required drop-off location. The integrated BlueSpot sensor, which can also be seen in the attached video, is used to significantly improve safety when turning with a payload.
The vision of 4am goes beyond the current state of AMR technology. In the future, the AFi should be able to pick up stacked containers and deliver them on a podium.
See the container test in action and experience the impressive capabilities of the AFi-H in the following video: