Various factors are supporting the proliferation of autonomous forklifts.
Robots and autonomous vehicles are gradually penetrating in diverse sectors, and occupations in distribution centers are not to be left aside. This is exactly where the novel designs of autonomous forklifts fits into the picture. These developments have enabled forklifts to self-governingly move around stockrooms, pick up loads, taking them where they have to go, and after that empty them — and all with no or least human assistance.
Leading manufacturers have ensured that autonomous forklifts they design are suitable for convenient deployment, without needing to make any changes in the existing infrastructure of a warehouse. This is made possible with the incorporation of various sensors and image-recognition algorithms, in place of indigenous wires, magnets, lasers, or tapes. Furthermore, the mechanism cannot be directly compared to that of autonomous cars, which require sensors such as lidar or radar to move around. Forklifts instead use stereoscopic cameras that have a higher data density and provide a 360 degree view in comparison to the aforementioned rival sensor technologies.
One of the primary reasons, why forklifts do not require lidar or radar because it is easier to control the level of lighting within a warehouse unlike natural light witnessed in the outside world.
Favorable Government Policies to Boost Forklift Sales Worldwide
For instance, the rising investment on infrastructure development and rising industrialization, besides expansion witnessed in the transportation industry are crating demand for advanced forklifts. In the coming years, technology used to manufacture forklifts is likely to become more advanced, paving way for the growth of the industry. In addition to this, opportunities existing in ASEAN countries will bode well for the overall market.
It is important to note that, emerging nations such as India are keeping no stone unturned to catapult their infrastructure standard to match international standards. Hence the investment towards infrastructural development has significantly increased. Recently, under NITI Aayog India has invested considerably towards infrastructural development. As per reports, it accounted for nearly 9% of the nation’s overall GDP in 2017. Meanwhile, investment from private sector is forecast to gain pace as well. This will also include investment towards road and airport development. This scenario is tantamount to lucrative growth opportunities for the forklift market. Expansion of the construction sector, will in turn fuel the demand for forklifts in the coming years.
Advent of Driverless Forklifts to Boost Growth Opportunities
Recently, a leading automotive technology developer called ZF Friedrichshafen unveiled its state-of-the-art driverless forklift. The company touted its innovation as a highly automated one that can see things, think, and accordingly act. The company manufactured these forklifts inbuilt with ZF cloud that in turn enabled improvement of overall efficiency across various industrial applications.
Such innovations pave way for a future comprising autonomous materials handling. These autonomous forklifts designed by leading manufacturers will enable completion of work orders with minimum to no human interference. These forklifts will further reach storage location, pick up loads, and deliver them to the end point without any delay.
