As enterprises increasingly adopt automation to complement their workforce alongside manually-operated vehicles, effectively managing workflows within facilities has become more complex. To address this challenge, SICK, a leader in sensor intelligence, has partnered with InOrbit.AI, a leading cloud-based RobOps platform, to enhance operational safety and efficiency.
Collaboration Overview
- Integration of Technologies
- The collaboration integrates SICK’s Tag-LOC System with InOrbit’s platform, significantly improving customers’ ability to manage various mobile equipment.
- Support for Hybrid Fleets
- In addition to supporting autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), the integration allows for the tracking and orchestration of manually-operated vehicles such as forklifts, pallet jacks, and carts.
Key Features of the Tag-LOC System
- Ultra-Wideband Technology
- The Tag-LOC system uses fixed antennas and low-cost ultra-wideband tags that can be attached to equipment, inventory, or workers’ safety gear.
- Seamless Integration
- This integration supports hybrid fleets, enabling real-time analytics across all vehicles and facilitating the execution of complex workflows in accordance with traffic rules.
Traffic Management Capabilities
- Prioritization Rules
- Users can set up traffic management rules, such as prioritizing a person pushing a cart or operating a forklift at an intersection, ensuring that mobile robots yield to human operators.
Industry Impact
- Harmonizing Operations
- According to Florian Pestoni, CEO and Founder of InOrbit, this integration allows for harmonious operation among robots, people, manually-operated vehicles, and fixed infrastructure, including security cameras and automatic doors.
- Software-Defined Operations
- The collaboration represents a significant advancement toward enabling software-defined operations in industries such as 3PL and manufacturing.
Commitment to Collaboration
- Shared Goals
- David Adams, Director of Strategy and Business Exploration at SICK, emphasized the shared goal of facilitating collaboration between humans and technology, highlighting how the Tag-LOC System contributes to this aim.
This innovative solution is now available for customers looking to integrate their manual and automated vehicles, paving the way for enhanced operational efficiency and safety within facilities.
