Robotics for Transport and Logistics

Smart Pallets Loading & Unloading

Today in a sophisticated world we now see automation happening everywhere from driver-less cars to household white goods ( refrigerators and television systems), plant and machinery robotics to automated factories infrastructure. But what-if we could automate the loading and unloading of transport pallets with smart pallets?

Smart Pallets

Using barcodes to identify the type of transport eg: truck, tractor, container etc and their respective design characteristics in combination with these smart pallets fitted with sensors to enable accurate loading and unloading of freight companies to truly automate their distribution needs could be viable. Smart pallets fitted with proximity sensors would permit freight companies with the opportunity to automate these tasks that are currently dominated by fork lifts, thereby reducing the time and costs.

These barcoded smart pallets could identify the exact configuration of the transport mediums unique design, thereby permitting the accurate operational parameters for true automation. Some transport loads just don't suit this type of automation eg: poorly stacked on the pallet, loads that shift on the pallet during transport or loads that have slippery surfaces.

Robotic Loading & Unloading

What is the future of transport and distribution, can true robotic loading/unloading automation even be achieved? 

In the main picture I've CAD drawn a simple design of what could be the basis of a robotic load/unload system. Where the truck/tractor/container is driven into a dedicated area for loading or unloading of pallets. Where the robotic load sensor reads the barcode on each pallet and handles the pallet based on stored parameters, thereby knowing the specific pallet and load combined weight, lifts the load onto/from the conveyor rollers for either down stream storage/retrieval or transport loading. Down stream sensors read the barcode and route the pallet directly the correct terminal for distribution or further material handling operations. 

The robotic handler would most likely be a mechanical design incorporating hydraulics for lifting, sensor technology for accurate load alignment , running on tracks somewhat like train tracks for consistent parallel movement in relation to the transport medium and the roller conveyor for fast movement into/out from the storage facility. An alternate to the train tracks could be a rack and pinion system much like an industrial cog that engages a toothed pinion, this would permit precise parallel movement to the transport medium.

About The Robotic Design

At this point in time this is a concept robotic cad design with no mechanical engineering aspects considered, further that there are many factors that can equally affect the viability or lack thereof of the concept design. There are many features that I've left out of this design, most notable is the counter weight for the loader.