Purpose

This study aims to present an automated guided logistics robot mainly designed for pallet transportation. Logistics robot is compactly designed. It could pick up the pallet precisely and transport the pallet up to 1,000 kg automatically in the warehouse. It could move freely in all directions without turning the chassis. It could work without any additional infrastructure based on laser navigation system proposed in this work.

Design/methodology/approach

Logistics robot should be able to move underneath and lift up the pallet accurately. Logistics robot mainly consists of two sub-robots, like two forks of the forklift. Each sub-robot has front and rear driving units. A new compact driving unit is compactly designed as a key component to ensure access to the narrow free entry of the pallet. Besides synchronous motions in all directions, the two sub-robots should also perform synchronous lifting up and laying down the pallet. Logistics robot uses a front laser to detect obstacles and locate itself using on-board navigation system. A rear laser is used to recognize and guide the sub-robots to pick up the pallet precisely within ± 5mm/1o in x-/yaw direction. Path planning algorithm under different constraints is proposed for logistics robot to obey the traffic rules of pallet logistics.

Findings

Compared with the traditional forklift vehicles, logistics robot has the advantages of more compact structure and higher expandability. It can realize the omnidirectional movement flexibly without turning the chassis and take zero-radius turn by controlling compact driving units synchronously. Logistics robot can move collision-free into any pallet that has not been precisely placed. It can plan the paths for returning to charge station and charge automatically. So it can work uninterruptedly for 7 × 24 h. Path planning algorithm proposed can avoid traffic congestion and improve the passability of the narrow roads to improve logistics efficiencies. Logistics robot is quite suitable for the standardized logistics factory with small working space.

Originality/value

This is a new innovation for pallet transportation vehicle to improve logistics automation.

中文翻译：

---

用于托盘运输的自动导向物流机器人

目的

这项研究旨在提出一种主要用于托盘运输的自动引导物流机器人。物流机器人设计紧凑。它可以精确地捡起托盘，并在仓库中自动运输多达1000公斤的托盘。它可以在不转动机箱的情况下向各个方向自由移动。它可以在不基于此工作中提出的基于激光导航系统的任何其他基础结构的情况下工作。

设计/方法/方法

物流机器人应该能够在下面移动并准确地提起托盘。物流机器人主要由两个子机器人组成，就像叉车的两个货叉一样。每个子机器人都有前后驱动单元。新的紧凑型驱动单元被紧凑地设计为关键部件，以确保能够接近托盘的狭窄自由入口。除了在各个方向上的同步运动之外，两个子机器人还应同步执行托盘的升降操作。物流机器人使用前置激光来检测障碍物并使用车载导航系统进行自我定位。后部激光用于识别和引导子机器人在x //偏航方向上精确地在±5mm / 1o范围内拾取货盘。针对物流机器人服从托盘物流的交通规则，提出了在不同约束条件下的路径规划算法。

发现

与传统的叉车相比，物流机器人具有结构更紧凑，扩展性更高的优点。通过同步控制紧凑的驱动单元，可以灵活地实现全向运动，而无需转动底盘，并实现零半径转动。物流机器人可以无碰撞地移动到任何未精确放置的托盘中。它可以规划返回充电站并自动充电的路径。因此它可以连续工作7×24小时。提出的路径规划算法可以避免交通拥堵，提高狭窄道路的通行性，提高物流效率。物流机器人非常适合工作空间较小的标准化物流工厂。

创意/价值

这是托盘运输车辆改善物流自动化的一项新创新。