The Intelligent Forklift
A Brief about the Interaction of Two Dissimilar Technologies that Converge at the Forklift
As forklifts begin to emerge from being the last frontier of technology change in the warehouse, an evolution begins to take place at the most unexpected but most logical place: The Intelligent Forklift. Understanding this convergence opens a new era for those technologies that are dependent on the data collection activities that are resident on the forklift.
The term Smart “x” is the new standard when referring to cars, phones, hospital beds and now forklifts. Each has their own set of circumstances that qualify for this honor. The forklift and its constituents are our primary focus in this primer. Taking a closer look at those players, we have the following:
Forklift Manufacturer – Many players in this arena answer the call of electric vs. gas, stationary vs. mobile, manned vs. unmanned, etc. There are many companies participating in this portion of the market: Crown, Raymond, Jungheinrich, Hyster, Caterpillar, just to name a few. All supplying the basic functionality of a powered industrial truck used to lift and move materials short distances.