Mobile Industrial Robots (MiR) has unveiled its latest innovation, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack. Equipped with advanced pallet detection powered by AI and obstacle avoidance technology, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack sets new standards for automated pallet logistics. The MiR1200 Pallet Jack also addresses many challenges faced by businesses when attempting to automate material handling in dynamic and complex environments.
The MiR1200 Pallet Jack features advanced AI-based pallet detection and is powered by NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin. It also utilizes 3D vision to identify pallets and other objects.
Artificial Intelligence
Trained on over 1.2 million real and synthetic images, this solution enables rapid and accurate detection of pallets and obstacles.
In a press release, Mads Paulin, VP of R&D at MiR said:
“We believe that integrated AI perception systems constitute a significant improvement over traditional detection methods. Our approach will reduce picking and placing cycle times, provide world-class picking accuracy, and enable us to continuously deliver advanced AI-based features and value to our customers.”
3D Vision
The solution indeed combines LIDAR sensor, camera, and 3D vision for precise detection of obstacles on the ground, height, and around. Thanks to its 3D vision capabilities, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack can therefore dynamically adjust its route to avoid obstacles such as objects on the ground or suspended wires. This ensures accurate and safe pallet placement.
The system can process a large amount of data in real-time, with the entire process occurring on the GPU and several other processors integrated into the NVIDIA Jetson AGX Orin module.
Safety
The MiR1200 Pallet Jack is also designed to comply with the latest safety standards, including ISO 3691-4. The fusion of multiple sensor platforms and top-notch safety features offers a much safer alternative to traditional forklifts, pallet jacks, and manual pallet trucks.”
ISO safety standards compliance: the solution designed to comply with ISO 3691-4 ensures safe operation in various environments.
Robust mobility: IP 52 rating and sturdy wheels enable perfect mobility on multiple challenging surfaces.
Applications
The MiR1200 seamlessly integrates with MiR’s existing fleets of autonomous mobile robots as well as other AMRs. According to the company, the new MiR1200 Pallet Jack is well-suited for large-scale enterprise customers who typically operate more complex workflows with larger fleets and multiple sites.
The MiR1200 can also navigate tight spaces without the need for additional infrastructure making it the ideal choice for optimizing logistics efficiency and ensuring fast pallet delivery.
With its high-capacity battery and fast charging capability, the company says the MiR1200 Pallet Jack is ideal for 24/7 workflows.
Solving the Labor Shortage
The MiR1200 can also tackle the challenges currently encountered by many organizations. These challenges include resource-intensive handling, where complex environments make automation difficult, and the growing labor shortage.
Many companies indeed believe that AMRs can help businesses both optimize their production and solve the labor shortage. A few months ago, DirectIndustry covered Automation Fair, Rockwell Automations’s annual event. The American group promoted its new acquisition, Clearpath Robotics and its division, OTTO Motors.
For Rockwell, AMRs autonomous material handling and autonomous production logistics are their next frontier.
According to Tessa Myers, Senior Vice President, Intelligent Devices at Rockwell Automation:
“How products move through the manufacturing plant today is very people-intensive. It’s pretty manual, with people driving forklifts, and people pushing cars. And so it’s a huge productivity opportunity for us to reconsider the way that materials and finished products move through a plant, optimizing how production flows and optimizing where we can put people on the most important work. The addition of autonomous mobile robots really gives us a full portfolio of material movement.”
