Forklift Backup Camera. It Was Nice, But No Longer a Safety Solution.
A standalone forklift backup camera was the norm for safety before advanced technologies like AI, machine learning or deep learning came into the market. The forklift backup camera has been instrumental over the years as forklift drivers could not see what was going on behind or in front of the lift truck. It served as an extra set of eyes.But forklift accidents continued.What is a forklift backup Camera?
A forklift backup camera can we wired or wireless and have the option of 1 to 2 cameras along with typically a 7” viewing monitor. The viewing monitor shows the operator a view of what’s behind the forklift to prevent accidents while reversing. A backup camera may be mandatory based on company, local or federal regulations depending on where you are located.Forklift Backup Camera: More Responsibility Placed on the Forklift Operator
Forklift operators are asked to be many things; multi-taskers, multi-thinkers, reactionary, and of course highly productive. And, it’s just understood that they need to perform each task safely. Easier said than done.As the forklift backup cameras came out, everyone was excited. Now you can see what’s going on around you in one or two directions. Which is true. But nobody accounted for the additional time it would take to monitor the 7” single or split screen.The system claims that it increases the safety for pedestrians and reduces product damage. That would be true if the forklift operator ‘sees’ a person or product in time. The forklift backup camera can only do so much. The responsibility is on the forklift driver to be reactionary. Did the operator ‘see’ the person in time? Can the driver stop fast enough? How forceful was the impact?Forklift Backup Camera: On the Right Track
The concept of installing a camera on the forklift was on the right track. Backup cameras displayed real-time activity in one or two areas around the forklift. The hesitancy with a camera solution is that it gives the forklift driver more to do. More to watch. More to think about. It’s not necessarily freeing up his time to get work done, instead it can cause his work performance to slow down.
Forklift Backup Camera: Let Sensors Do the Watching
Even though cameras were displaying what activity was going on in a particular area, it left the visual interpretation up to the driver. To be fully safe, the operator would need to constantly watch the camera feed….and the other two to three sides not covered by the camera. An unrealistic demand. That’s where sensors can be a better solution.
As with any technology, not all sensors are created equal. The sensors that SIERA.AI uses are constantly monitoring every 60ms in all 4 directions. The camera nor the naked eye can watch that quickly. Just like the camera, it’s capturing real-time information, but it needs something more that makes all the work the sensors are doing useful. Audio and visual alarms.

Now Make It Smart & Effective
Instead of adding more to the driver’s responsibility, we’re making the operators more efficient. SIERA.AI applies AI to our safety system so the sensors know what to look for and when to notify the operator of a potential hazard and imminent danger.
If the operator is unaware of a person crossing an aisle, or a product blocking the aisle, that’s where SIERA.AI’s technology steps in. If the operator does not act in the identified zones, the operator will be alerted with visual and audio cues.
The SIERA.AI technology allows you to identify the distance for alerts. There are three zones: green zone, everything is great, yellow is your warning and red is immediate action. What distance do you want to notify the driver?