Semi-Automatic Pallet Pick-up as an Advanced Driver Assistance System for Forklifts

This paper presents a novel advanced driver assistance system for human-operated forklifts in logistical scenarios. The system helps the operator to pick up wooden pallets by performing a collision-free insertion of the forks into the pallet. For this purpose, the assistance system takes over the steering function of the vehicle while it approaches the pallet. A 3D camera-based system is used to detect and localize the pallets while driving. For every localized pallet, a trajectory is calculated which has to fulfill certain conditions. These include an at least curvature continuous course and limiting vehicle parameters, such as a limited steering angle. Furthermore, the necessary user interface for the correct selection of the target pallet and the activation of the assistance function is presented. Finally, a technical method is described to realize the steering intervention on an existing forklift.