Alstef Group developed a new autonomous industrial vehicle (AIV), designed to meet increasing demands for flexibility, safety, and performance across warehousing and distribution environments.
“True autonomy depends on continuous environmental awareness,” says Matthieu Crosnier, intralogistics sales director at Alstef Group. “The perception bubble at the heart of our new AIV enables safer, more intelligent interactions between autonomous vehicles and their surroundings, while simplifying system implementation and improving user comfort.”
Key takeaways:
· The new mobile robot understands and reacts to its surroundings in real time through an advanced perception bubble, a continuously updated awareness zone that enables the vehicle to detect, interpret, and respond intelligently to people, equipment, and environmental changes within its operating area.
· Within this perception bubble, the AIV goes beyond simple obstacle detection. By combining on-board cameras with artificial intelligence models, the vehicle is able to classify objects in its environment, distinguishing, for example, between pedestrians, manual carts, pallets, and fixed infrastructure.
· Designed for brownfield and live operational environments, the AIV integrates seamlessly into existing facilities without requiring extensive infrastructure changes.
· The perception bubble enables the vehicle to remain fully aware of its surroundings despite layout changes, temporary obstacles, or evolving workflows. The perception bubble also simplifies system configuration and day-to-day operation. Pedestrian crossings no longer need to be manually configured in the control system, as the AIV is able to recognize them automatically and adjust its speed accordingly.
· Similarly, the vehicle adapts its docking trajectory based on the actual position of a pallet, removing the need for precise manual placement or ground markings. Additional intelligence enables the AIV to determine whether a pallet is empty or loaded and to calculate the appropriate destination autonomously.
· The perception bubble is available in a light perception bubble, covering the front and rear of the vehicle, and a full perception bubble, providing 360-degree awareness.
