Acronym:

Automatsko umjeravanje karti prostora za autonomna skladišta 

From: 2016-07-01 To: 2017-06-30 (Completed)

BICRO 

PoC 

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dr. sc. Damjan Miklić

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The goal of the proposed project is proof of concept evaluation and market potential analysis of an innovative method for improving autonomous forklift navigation in warehouses. If proven feasible, the proposed method would significantly reduce the commissioning costs and increase the flexibility of operations in warehouses equipped with autonomous forklifts. This would remove a significant barrier on the way towards wider adoption of fully autonomous vehicles in logistic operations.   Autonomous forklifts are equipped with safety laser distance sensors, which bring the vehicle to an immediate stop in case an obstacle or person is detected in its path. The proposed solution uses distance measurements from the safety lasers for building a map of the environment. The map is built fully autonomously, without human operator involvement. The generated map is then automatically calibrated against a CAD floor plan of the warehouse. CAD floor plans are readily available, as they are commonly used for planning warehousing operations. The calibration procedure is performed by determining a set of coordinate transforms matching the corresponding segments between the two maps using The Iterative Closest Point (ICP) method. If proven feasible, this automated calibration procedure would enable fully autonomous warehouse commissioning, which would result in significant savings. The main objectives of the project are the implementation of the automated calibration procedure and its validation. In addition to validating the technical feasibility of the proposed solution, it is our objective to evaluate its market potential and perform preliminary steps towards IP protection. The implementation of the project is planned in three phases. In the first phase, we will implement the prototype, and its functionality will be evaluated in laboratory conditions. In the second phase, the functionality will be evaluated in industrial conditions, with support of partner companies. The third phase will be dedicated to market analysis, preliminary IP protection and the development of a commercialization strategy. Proof of concept evaluation is necessary in order to determine the actual technical feasibility of automated map calibration, thereby lowering the risk of further development of a novel autonomous forklift navigation product. The expected results are a fully functional software prototype and a strategy for further development and commercialization.