Autonomous Forklift
Assembly Line
Cyngn completes first paid DriveMod forklift deployment
Cyngn announced that its autonomous DriveMod Forklift has completed its first paid autonomous deployment at a customer facility. The Menlo Park, Calif.-based company said this marked a milestone in the commercialization of the next vehicle in its Enterprise Autonomy Suite, or EAS, portfolio. DriveMod has built-in safety features including 360° high-definition perception and Cyngn’s Virtual Bumper technology. The system is designed to safely navigate dynamic environments while attaining high operational precision, said the company.
Last month, Cyngn announced that OEM partner Motrec had built its first 12,000-lb. DriveMod Tugger. Last week, the company said that a major automotive equipment manufacturer is among the customers using the DriveMod Tugger. Cyngn also last week secured its 21st patent for a system and methods of adaptive object-based decision making for autonomous driving.
Venca GEODIS Testimonial
A-Robotics Forklift
Self-Driving Vehicles Are Finding a Home in Industrial Operations
Kimberly-Clark credits hundreds of autonomous forklifts with helping the consumer-products company keep Kleenex facial tissue, Cottonelle toilet paper and other goods flowing to stores despite labor shortages during the Covid pandemic. Sharpie maker Newell Brands says the vehicles are helping deliver safety improvements and cost savings across the company’s operations.
Kimberly-Clark has more than 300 autonomous forklifts at its North American warehouses, up from about 30 in 2019, said Sarah Haffer, vice president of customer logistics for the company’s North America consumer division. Haffer said Kimberly-Clark’s warehouses with autonomous forklifts have provided some of the most consistent service levels to its retail customers. “We have been able to manage through Covid with real stability and beyond in terms of throughput and capabilities,” Haffer said.
Newell Brands, whose products also include Coleman outdoor recreation equipment and Rubbermaid food storage goods, uses more than 200 autonomous forklifts across its facilities. Newell Chief Executive Chris Peterson said robotic vehicles have reduced incidents of damage to goods and are delivering “significant cost savings.”