Laser distance sensor solution for intelligent forklift distance measurement

 With the continuous development of automation technology, smart forklifts, as important equipment in the logistics industry, have been widely used. Smart forklifts can autonomously carry out cargo handling and stacking according to environmental changes and cargo demand in warehouses or logistics centers. Through autonomous navigation and perception control technology, smart forklifts can accurately move cargo from one location to another and perform stacking operations, greatly improving handling efficiency and accuracy. This article will introduce the application of laser ranging sensors in smart forklift ranging.

 Compared with traditional manual handling, the warehouse cargo placement environment is complex, and the position of manual/truck pallets is not accurate enough, resulting in the inability of unmanned forklifts to accurately identify pallets by relying on traditional mechanical limit or monocular camera recognition. It is often the case that the unmanned forklift docks the pallet at a large offset angle, which leads to fork failure. If the pallet placement position is at a certain distance or angle deviation from the set position, the forklift will fail to pick up and require manual processing, greatly reducing the overall transportation efficiency. Driven by the rapid growth of the demand for intelligent logistics, forklifts, as the core equipment for handling, are also rapidly evolving towards the process of intelligence. How to achieve precise positioning, automatic path planning, target pallet search, detection, hole alignment, handling and loading and unloading has become the primary consideration of major intelligent forklift manufacturers.

 

 Laser ranging is a method of measuring distance by emitting a laser beam to the object to be measured and receiving the signal reflected by the laser. In the height detection of forklifts, the laser sensor is usually installed on the top of the forklift, and the laser beam is emitted upward. When the beam hits the top of the forklift, the beam is reflected back, and the distance can be calculated. This method has high measurement accuracy, but it is necessary to ensure that there are no obstacles between the sensor and the object to be measured. In addition, it is installed in the cab or the base of the forklift lifting mechanism. The installation method can be different according to the forklift model. The installation point can be flexibly selected, and the ranging laser transmitter head is facing down to illuminate the ground.