In today’s ever-evolving supply chain solutions industry, automated forklifts are quickly becoming the front and center star. Many companies offer AMR or AGV pallet movers, but what they lack is the automated aspect of having an AMR or AGV place pallets onto their AMR. Although many companies have tried, nothing can replace the forklift. Multimode Autonomous Forklifts are a type of material handling equipment that are capable of operating in multiple modes including manual, remote operated, semi-autonomous, and fully autonomous. Used in warehouses and other industrial settings, these automated forklifts can quickly improve the efficiency, safety, and productivity of your facility; but let’s dive in a little deeper.
In manual mode, a forklift operator controls the forklift using traditional controls standard to that type of forklift, such as a steering wheel and pedals. In semi-autonomous mode, the forklift can be programmed to follow specific routes and perform specific tasks, but a human operator is still needed to oversee the operation and make decisions. In fully autonomous mode, the forklift can operate independently, without the need for human intervention.
Multimode autonomous forklifts are equipped with sensors, cameras, and other advanced technology that allows them to navigate around obstacles and people, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. They can also be integrated with warehouse management systems (WMS), allowing them to track inventory levels, restock as needed, and essentially helps your WMS work more efficiently.
Having multiple modes of operation makes the forklifts more versatile and flexible, allowing them to adapt to different tasks and situations in the warehouse. This can improve efficiency and productivity, reducing labor costs and improving inventory management.
What Are 6 Benefits of Using Multimode Autonomous Forklifts
As technology progresses, automation now enables us to deploy our forklifts with multiple different modes that weren’t before available to us. With that, it opens up a whole new set of benefits and use cases. Here are six immediate benefits of multimode autonomous forklifts for you warehouses and other industrial settings:
- Increased Efficiency: Multimode autonomous forklifts are able to move around the warehouse quickly and accurately, reducing the amount of time and effort required to complete tasks. They can also be programmed to follow specific routes and perform specific tasks alongside your employees to further increase efficiency.
- Improved Safety: Autonomous forklifts are equipped with sensors and cameras that allow them to navigate around obstacles and people, reducing the risk of accidents and injuries. They can also be programmed to follow safety protocols and avoid dangerous areas, further improving safety in the warehouse.
- Increased Productivity: Multimode autonomous forklifts are able to work around the clock without breaks, meaning they can complete tasks faster and increase the overall productivity of the warehouse.
- Alleviate Labor Shortages: When in autonomous mode, forklifts can work without human intervention meaning warehouses throughput won’t grind to a halt with the reduced number of employees needed to operate them.
- Better Inventory Management: Autonomous forklifts can be integrated with warehouse management systems, allowing them to automatically track inventory levels and restock as needed, improving inventory management.
- Flexibility: By having multiple modes, the forklifts can be used in different ways depending on the task. This allows the warehouse to adapt to changing needs and situations, making it more flexible and able to respond to unexpected challenges.
As supply chain demand exponentially increases on a yearly basis, we tend to see the same pain points such as labor shortage, cost of labor and inventory management, not being addressed efficiently by solutions providers. Multimode autonomous forklifts are a valuable investment for any warehouse or industrial facility because they are the easiest to implement. Why only operate in one mode when you can have the benefits of all four? Third Wave Automation provides the industry’s first, true, multimode autonomous forklift that can adapt to a variety of tasks and situations, making them the most versatile and flexible material handling solution on the market today.