A dock area control system includes a vehicle proximity detection system (PDSC). The PDSC includes a vehicle low frequency magnetic field generator (MFG) that generates a vehicle pulsed magnetic field that is sensed by a dock area controller electronics module (DEM).

The various embodiments described herein generally relate to an autonomous material transport vehicle, and systems and methods for operating an autonomous material transport vehicle. The autonomous material transport vehicle comprises: a sensing system operable to monitor an environment of the vehicle; a drive system for operating the vehicle; a processor operable to: receive a location of a load; initiate the drive system to navigate the vehicle to the location; following initiation of the drive system, operate the sensing system to monitor for one or more objects within a detection range; and in response to the sensing system detecting the one or more objects within the detection range, determine whether the load is within the detection range; and when the load is within the detection range, operate the drive system to position the vehicle for transporting the load, otherwise, determine a collision avoidance operation to avoid the one or more objects.

A vehicle-mounted device includes an analysis unit and a control unit. The analysis unit detects an insertion target into which an insertion blade can be inserted, on the basis of sensing information acquired from a spatial recognition device. The control unit performs a loading misalignment determination to determine whether or not the insertion target loaded on a conveyance destination is misaligned from the conveyance destination on the basis of the sensing information.

Described is ballast for a rotary tower, comprising: a main body (10), equipped with coupling means designed to allow a connection to the rotary tower; a detecting device (11, 12, 13), associated with the main body (10), designed for detecting the presence of an obstacle positioned at a distance less than a predetermined safety distance from the main body (10), and for emitting a proximity signal, signifying the presence of an obstacle at a distance less than the safety distance from the main body (10).

A materials handling vehicle includes a camera, odometry module, processor, and drive mechanism. The camera captures images of an identifier for a racking system aisle and a rack leg portion in the aisle. The processor uses the identifier to generate information indicative of an initial rack leg position and rack leg spacing in the aisle, generate an initial vehicle position using the initial rack leg position, generate a vehicle odometry-based position using odometry data and the initial vehicle position, detect a subsequent rack leg using a captured image, correlate the detected subsequent rack leg with an expected vehicle position using rack leg spacing, generate an odometry error signal based on a difference between the positions, and update the vehicle odometry-based position using the odometry error signal and/or generated mast sway compensation to use for end of aisle protection and/or in/out of aisle localization.

A mobile lifting apparatus is provided for lifting an, in particular flat, transport frame on which a component of a wind turbine is mounted, in particular for removing or placing at least one self-propelled modular transporter below the transport frame, the lifting apparatus including: an upper part having an interface for connecting to a transport frame to be lifted, a lower part for supporting the lifting apparatus on the ground, and a lifting mechanism connecting the lower part to the upper part for linearly vertically moving the upper.

An industrial truck includes a load-receiving element which receives elongated-goods, an elongated-goods detection device which detects the elongated-goods, and a safety controller having at least one monitoring sensor. The safety controller forms at least one protection field together with the at least one monitoring sensor. The safety controller is operatively connected to the elongated-goods detection device and influences the at least one protection field as a function of the elongated-goods detected by the elongated-goods detection device.

Cargo loading systems for use with a cargo storage area of a vehicle are described. In one form, the cargo loading system has a mast frame and a carriage assembly supported by the mast frame. The carriage assembly has lifting forks, and a fork lateral control mechanism configured to control lateral movement of the lifting forks across the carriage assembly. A carriage pivot control mechanism controls pivotal movement of the carriage assembly relative to the mast frame about a first vertical axis. A fork pivot control mechanism controls pivotal movement of the lifting forks relative to the carriage assembly about a second vertical axis, between a first position in which the lifting forks extend away from the carriage assembly and a second position in which the lifting forks extend along carriage assembly. A carriage vertical control assembly controls raising and lowering of the carriage assembly relative to the mast frame, and a mast frame actuating assembly controls lateral movement of the mast frame relative to an open end of the cargo storage area of the vehicle.

A refuse collection vehicle includes a fork assembly that is operable to engage one or more fork pockets of a refuse container, a lift arm that is operable to lift a refuse container, and at least one sensor that is configured to collect data indicating a position of the one or more fork pockets of the refuse container. A position of at least one of the fork assembly or the lift arm is adjusted in response to the data collected by the at least one sensor.

A method controls the reverse speed of a materials-handling vehicle having a forward-facing operator seat, a front end, a back end, a reverse-consent sensor, and a controller. The method detects, via the reverse-consent sensor, whether an operator of the vehicle is in a position to view a path of the vehicle when the vehicle is driven in a reverse direction; limits, via the controller, the reverse speed of the vehicle to a first maximum reverse speed when the operator is not detected to be in such a position when the vehicle is driven in a reverse direction; and limits, via the controller, the reverse speed of the vehicle to a second maximum reverse speed when the operator is detected to be in such a position. The first maximum reverse speed of the vehicle may be lower than the second maximum reverse speed of the vehicle.