Sensor intelligence for mobile platforms

Nov 8, 2022

Waldkirch, November 2022 – Localization, safety as well as track&trace are the focus of SICK's smart sensor solutions for mobile platforms at the SPS 2022 trade fair in Nuremberg (November 8–10, 2022, Hall 7A, Booth 340). The multiScan and safeVisionary2 functional sensors significantly improve the efficiency of AGVs, AGCs and AMRs.

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs), mobile platforms or autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are already par for the course in the intralogistics of many companies. And they will become even more important in future: According to the “Trend Report for Intralogistics and In-plant Transportation Management 2021” of the industrial logistics company INFORM, 76 percent of the people in logistics and supply chain management they surveyed report that in-plant transportation has a high or very high relevance to the overall success of a company. Consequently, the requirements on mobile transportation and work platforms in regard to flexibility and responsiveness are increasing. With its complete solution offering, SICK is supporting the modern functionality of these vehicles and enabling them to adapt to new situations even more intelligently and master new challenges even better.

Self-localization using 3D LiDAR: clear view all around the vehicle

With the launch of its multiScan100 product family, SICK is presenting 3D LiDAR sensors that provide mobile platforms with an all-round 360° view in 3D. Using up to 690,000 measured values depending on the resolution, the multiScan100 achieves a state-of-the-art precision that ensures the sensor will not miss anything in its surroundings. With its compact design of approx. 10 cm and support for industrial interfaces, a high level of integration-friendliness is assured. The first variant, the multiScan136, delivers 3D measurement data that can be used for the precise self-localization of vehicles while simultaneously mapping the environment (SLAM, which stands for Simultaneous Localization and Mapping). The 3D LiDAR sensors can also detect fall edges or obstacles in 3D. This allows mobile platforms such as AGVs or service robots to independently explore a new environment and generate a map that can be used for navigation and localization during productive operation. 

Safety in 3D for mobile platforms

The new safeVisionary2 3D time-of-flight camera from SICK is the first universal use 3D safety solution of its kind with a safety certification up to performance level c. The three-dimensional protective field enables mobile platforms to now also safely detect and localize obstacles in the room. During transportation, the safeVisionary2 monitors the vehicle in 3D – i.e. the space above the scan field plane of a safety laser scanner installed on the vehicle. Any objects projecting into this 3D field, for example crane hooks, or pallets or objects overhanging storage racks, are reliably detected. The same applies for lateral protection for the turning maneuvers of AGVs and mobile platforms during loading and unloading operations. The approach or turning speed can be reduced up to a defined distance from the obstacle before safely stopping the mobile platform to prevent a collision. Depending on the alignment of the 3D protective field, it is also possible to monitor areas below the scan field plane of a safety laser scanner and thereby avoid tipping and falling risks at steps, ramps or floor edges.

SICK – complete solutions provider for sensor solutions for AGVs and mobile platforms

Object detection and identification, localization and displacement measurement, positioning and distancing, load handling and gripper sensor technology, environment perception and 2D and 3D safety technology, LiDAR and image processing – SICK offers one of the most comprehensive solutions portfolio for AGVs, AGCs, mobile platforms and AMRs from a single source. The portfolio also includes coordinated sensor systems that offer both a high level of functionality and integration-friendliness – and as a manufacturer of turnkey solutions, SICK significantly supports the equipping of vehicles with sensor technology.

SICK is one of the world’s leading solutions providers for sensor-based applications in the industrial sector. Founded in 1946 by Dr.-Ing. e. h. Erwin Sick, the company with headquarters in Waldkirch im Breisgau near Freiburg ranks among the technological market leaders. With more than 50 subsidiaries and equity investments as well as numerous agencies, SICK maintains a presence around the globe. In the 2021 fiscal year, SICK had more than 11,000 employees worldwide and a group revenue of around EUR 2 billion. Additional information about SICK is available on the Internet at http://www.sick.com or by phone on +49 (0)7681202-4183.

 

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