Thousands of injuries related to manually driven forklifts are reported to OSHA each year, and tragically, a fatal accident involving a manual forklift occurred approximately once per week in the United States in 2018. A keen focus on safety is leading many companies to adopt Seegrid vision guided vehicles (VGVs) as they provide the safest, most efficient form of transport in their facilities. There is no comparison between human industrial vehicle drivers and their Seegrid autonomous driving counterparts — injury and fatality statistics prove that Seegrid technology is safer. As a result, companies are moving as quickly as they can to integrate Seegrid’s vision technology into their material flow. With 1.9 million+ miles driven, Seegrid VGVs are proven to be reliable operating in very busy, high traffic facilities, with ever-changing environments.
Seegrid’s navigation system allows the Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) to be more consistent, predictable, and reliable than human drivers, which improves safety and efficiency, and allows customers’ manufacturing processes to be as productive as possible. Notably, employees who once performed repetitive, lower-skilled work are reallocated to positions that add more value to the company while also improving the quality of employees’ lives.
“Seegrid is helping our customers solve their biggest challenges. Most importantly, we are proud to help our customers provide a safer work environment for their people,” said Jeff Christensen, Seegrid VP of Product. “Seegrid also provides comprehensive hands-on as well as on-demand training for our customers’ employees so they can confidently and safely operate the vehicles.”
Seegrid’s navigation technology is proprietary, proven, and unique to the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) market. Navigating with 10 cameras in stereo pairs, sophisticated algorithms, and machine learning, Seegrid vehicles see the world just like humans do. Their eyes capture and build a detailed, 360-degree map of the world around them. Seegrid VGVs operate safely and seamlessly alongside human workers.
To prevent injuries and accidents, and to assist customers with continuous improvement, Seegrid VGVs will never strike an obstruction, reliably and safely stopping if someone or something is in their path. Seegrid vehicles travel predictably and do not veer off course unexpectedly when encountering an object. This consistent behavior builds trust among the vehicles’ human coworkers and assists management in their continuous improvement journey. The vehicles, through Seegrid Supervisor fleet management software, notify facility management of the obstacle, thereby helping customers dramatically improve their 5S processes. Seegrid helps customers stay compliant with OSHA safety guidelines to keep aisles and pathways clear to avoid injuries that can result from improperly storing and stacking materials. Falling objects into pathways create safety hazards, including dangerous situations such as crushing or pinning workers.
“This impressive safety record demonstrates the company’s unparalleled commitment to safety, reliability, and efficiency when it comes to equipping global brands with self-driving vehicles used in production, manufacturing, and distribution facilities.”