Forklift Detection Sensors with Intelligence: What Does that Mean?

What does forklift detection sensors do? Let’s first discuss sensors. We are all familiar with the use of sensors. In the food industry, sensors are used to detect particles of metal. For lift trucks, forklift detection sensors can be used to detect pedestrians, and in the case of SIERA.AI, objects as well. Sensors can be used in numerous applications but putting a bit of smarts to them, like AI technology, can make them more powerful, more informative and safer. Let’s discover how.

What are Forklift Detection Sensors?

Forklift detection sensors are an electronic device that can determine or sense the presence of humans or objects in the path of the moving vehicle in order to increase forklift operation safety. When forklift detection sensors are applied with ‘smarts’ like artificial intelligence, to a forklift safety system, accidents resulting in injury, death and damage can decrease.

The Role of the Forklift Detection Sensors

Sensors alone can scan and respond to a particular input. That’s very narrow in its scope. It doesn’t mean it’s bad, as we indicated for the food application. It does a very narrow job in scope and does it well. But when there is something more complex such as identifying a human being or an object within a particular scope like distance, now it becomes more complex. This is where advanced technologies can have a positive impact.

When adding AI technology to sensors, sensors can be taught to ‘look’ for humans and objects. The machine learning enables it to detect in milliseconds when it ‘sees’ and identifies a person or object. Now, in SIERA.AI’s forklift safety system, we add the complexity of distance, up to 33 feet, and partial human detection to the mix. Why? Say for instance a person is on all fours behind a few boxes with only the feet showing. When the forklift safety system approaches, the AI sensor(s) scan every 60ms. It identifies the person’s feet, partial human detection, and gives the warning to the forklift driver with the symbol of a human along with a loud beeping sound. It identifies the human first and not the boxes so the driver doesn’t use the forks to move the boxes and strike the human behind them. Having the separate detection is vital to the safety to the humans.

Telemetry Dashboard

Once the forklift detection sensors are scanning, they are collecting data all of the time. The sensors are not only detecting humans and objects, but it is also calculating how many detections it is making, and how many near misses for both pedestrian and object to name a few. These calculations are important as it tells you about the activities occurring on the facility floor. Where are the incidents occurring, and why. Knowing this information can help you to take the corrective action necessary to reduce any type of incidents.

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Contact us today at sales@siera.ai or call us at (512) 817 0702.