Toyota Industries Corporation's Toyota L&F Company launched the "Rinova Autonomous," an autonomous forklift that automates loading and unloading operations onto trucks, on September 29.
While some condition checks are required for automation, a key feature is its ability to automatically recognize the position and orientation of the truck bed and the pallets loaded with goods using AI, and then automatically generate the travel route.
Even if the truck's parking position and the pallet's orientation are not consistent, the automation of cargo handling operations becomes possible, contributing to unmanned and efficient truck cargo handling.
<Rinova Autonomous>
Generally, forklift operation requires precision down to the centimeter, and loading and unloading cargo onto trucks, where loading efficiency is greatly affected by how the cargo is loaded, is particularly technically challenging due to the unpredictable nature of the truck's parking position and other environmental factors. This makes it one of the areas where automation has not progressed significantly.
Rinova Autonomous uses laser-emitting sensors to detect the truck's position and determine its loading location, enabling autonomous driving without the need for guides such as magnetic tapes.
Furthermore, by utilizing image recognition and deep learning technologies, the system can detect the position and orientation of pallets without the need for markers or other indicators. From inserting the forks to loading onto the truck bed, it automatically generates an approach path that matches the position of the pallet and the truck, allowing for loading of goods at regular intervals.
In developing Rinova Autonomous, the company has been conducting field tests in factories of daily necessities manufacturers and beverage manufacturers since 2022, verifying functionality through partial pilot implementations, and identifying challenges. They claim to have "established technology that enables truck loading and unloading with accuracy comparable to that of humans, even in real-world environments."
Going forward, we aim to expand its adoption and become a logistics solutions provider that contributes to solving challenges in logistics operations.
■ Main specifications
Guidance method: 3D-SLAM
Operation method: Reach type
定格荷重：1100kg
Overall length: 2620 mm
Overall width: 1380mm
Overall height: 2510mm
Vehicle weight: 2710 kg
