Unmanned autonomous forklifts ready for sales this month in S. Korea

By Lim Chang-won Posted : April 1, 2019, 13:14 Updated : July 17, 2020, 16:25

[Yonhap News Photo]


​SEOUL -- Autonomous forklifts developed by Hyundai Construction Equipment, a construction equipment maker in South Korea, will hit the market this month. The company thinks its new product is ideal for smart factories where equipment and devices are connected by wireless communication.

Hyundai Construction Equipment (HCE) said Monday that unmanned forklifts can be remotely controlled by a control system to move along the optimal path. The control system using a laser recognizes the surrounding environment and obstacles.

Unmanned forklifts can speed up the circulation of goods and make efficient use of inventory space, HCE, a subsidiary of Hyundai Heavy Industries, said, adding it would develop technologies such as a battery control system and a wireless charging system by the end of this year.

With rapid advances in sensor and computer technologies, there has been growing demands for autonomous equipment at warehouses, distribution centers and construction sites.

HCE has teamed up with Trimble, an American software company, and SK Telecom to develop a 5G "smart construction" platform by using big data and artificial intelligence that would enable autonomous operation and remote control of construction equipment to improve efficiency and reduce dangers at construction sites.

During a trade fair in Shanghai in November last year, Doosan Infracore, a South Korean construction machinery manufacturer, demonstrated the remote control operation of an autonomous construction machine. Doosan has developed self-driving construction machines using a 5G communication network, drones and ultra-low latency video transmission technology.
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