Robotics Technology Center

Unmanned Robo-Forklift Keeps Humans Out of Danger

Forklifts and other industrial mobile transport systems rely on humans to operate manually. The operators would normally maneuver these machines to load pallets of supplies and materials. Similarly, forklifts are used in loading supplies and materials in a war zone which always put the lives operators in danger.

Researchers at MIT, CSAIL is working on an alternative way to handle war zone supplies without putting the lives of operators in danger. A Robo-forklift, is a semi-autonomous forklift that be remotely directed to do similar tasks. Unmanned, this Robo-forklift loads war supplies and materials even in the middle of cross-fires.

Researchers at CSAIL is undergoing test on its Robo-forklift project

This forklift is designed to operate autonomously with a high level of supervision by a remote operator seated securely in a nearby hideout via a wireless internet connection. Equipped with sensors and intelligent systems, the robo-forklift can manage to navigate autonomously, avoid obstacles on the way, identify which pallets to load and familiarized with the basic layout of the storage depot facility.

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