What Is a Forklift Robot? Why Businesses Are Choosing Forklift Robots?

Against the backdrop of the global manufacturing and logistics industry accelerating its transition towards intelligentisation, forklift robots (also known as unmanned forklifts, AGV forklifts, or autonomous forklifts) are increasingly becoming a focal point for businesses.

According to MarketsandMarkets, the global autonomous forklift market is projected to reach billions of dollars by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate exceeding 15%.

Forklift robots not only enable automated material handling and enhance logistics efficiency but also integrate deeply with warehouse management systems (WMS), delivering multi-faceted optimisations in efficiency, safety, and cost. So, what exactly are forklift robots?

What Is a Forklift Robot?

A forklift robot is an intelligent device that uses autonomous navigation and sensing technology to achieve unmanned material handling. Unlike traditional manual forklifts, AGV forklifts can perform tasks such as material handling, stacking, and shelf docking without human intervention. It utilises core technologies, including lidar, visual navigation, and SLAM algorithms, to enable 24/7 unmanned material handling, stacking, and warehouse operations.

The most significant difference from manual forklifts is that it does not require an operator; the system autonomously completes all driving paths, fork movements, and cargo identification.  

Common types:  

1. Counterbalanced unmanned forklift – Suitable for high-bay stacking and heavy-load transportation.  

2. Reach unmanned forklift – Used for narrow aisle and high-shelf operations.  

3. Pallet truck – Suitable for assembly line material handling.

Tecnología central

1. Navigation System: 3D SLAM laser, visual SLAM, and QR code hybrid navigation, with positioning accuracy of ±10 mm.

2. Perception System: 360° laser + depth camera, real-time detection of personnel, shelves, and pallets, obstacle avoidance and deceleration, ensuring safety when operating in environments with people.

3. Motion Control: Servo motor + differential drive, supporting on-the-spot rotation and bidirectional travel in narrow aisles. High-precision servo control technology ensures the forks can precisely engage the bottom of the pallet.

4. Fork Mechanism: Three mainstream configurations—reach type, counterbalanced type, and stacking type—with lift heights ranging from 1 to 7 metres. Features such as automatic mast adjustment and fork sensing further enhance operational intelligence and safety.

5. Intelligent Dispatch Platform: Seamlessly integrates with WMS/MES systems to enable task allocation and path optimisation.

What is an autonomous forklift? Revolutionizing warehouse operations

Why Do Businesses Need Forklift Robots?

1. Improved efficiency: Robots can work continuously without shifts, accelerating logistics turnover.

2. Addressing labour shortages: Effectively alleviating the labour shortages commonly faced by logistics and manufacturing industries.

3. Enhancing safety: Eliminate safety risks associated with manual forklift operation, such as collisions, crushing, and cargo falls, creating a safer working environment.

4. High scalability: As the business grows, deployment numbers can be quickly increased without the need for major infrastructure modifications.

AiTEN Robot Case Studies:

AiTEN's customised solution achieves 30% increase in warehouse utilisation for automotive factory with confusing logistics management

Intelligent warehousing through unmanned forklift, comprehensively improving efficiency and space utilisation

What Can Forklift Robots Do?

Their core mission is material handling automation, with specific applications spanning core production and warehouse processes:

1. Receiving and warehousing: Automatically transport goods from the loading and unloading area to designated storage locations or buffer zones.

2. Intra-warehouse transportation: Automatically transfer materials and finished products between different storage locations, workstations, and production lines.

3. Outbound shipping: Transport picked orders or full pallets of goods to the shipping area.  

4. Production line supply: Precisely and timely deliver raw materials or semi-finished products required for production to the production line.  

5. High-bay storage and retrieval: Some models of forklift AGVs have automatic lifting capabilities, replacing manual high-bay forklift operations to store and retrieve goods from shelves, significantly enhancing safety.

Conclusión

With the deepening development of intelligent manufacturing and logistics automation, forklift robots will become a key tool for enterprises to enhance their competitiveness.

For enterprises that wish to improve production efficiency, reduce operating costs, and enhance safety, it is undoubtedly a worthwhile investment in intelligent handling solutions. As the technology continues to mature, forklift robots will play an increasingly important role in more industries.

About AiTEN Robotics

As a company specialising in intelligent logistics solutions, AiTEN Robotics has consistently focused on the ‘smart factory’ scenario, deeply integrating technological innovation with industry needs. It has provided comprehensive services to over 200 manufacturing clients worldwide: Leveraging a full range of material handling robot product portfolios to cover diverse material handling scenarios, we have developed an industry-grade intelligent scheduling system to enable efficient collaboration among multiple devices. Through a comprehensive lifecycle service system spanning pre-sales planning, deployment and implementation to operations optimisation, we empower enterprises to achieve logistics intelligence transformation, continuously driving the digital upgrading and high-quality development of the manufacturing industry.

Contact us to explore automation solutions for your factory.