Vecna Robotics Releases New Automated Counterbalanced Fork Truck for Industrial Applications

Vecna Robotics, Inc. is a US-based robotics and technology company specializing in optimizing automated material handling, hybrid fulfillment, and workflow for industrial applications. The company began its journey as a spin-off from Vecna Technologies in 2018. 

 

The VRSB3000

Earlier this month, the company introduced its latest innovation in the form of its VRSB3000 Autonomous Counterbalanced Fork Truck, the first of its Silverback Series. Vecna hopes that this product will help streamline manufacturing facility workflows and aid successful operations. 

 

Vecna's VRSB3000 Autonomous Counterbalanced Fork Truck. Image courtesy of Vecna Robotics.

 

The VRSB3000 can lift materials to 72" high at a payload of 3000 lbs. The truck is designed to deposit payloads onto conveyor belts, wrappers, and carts. The automated fork truck's user interface is intuitive and can assign tasks on-board or remotely.

 

Vecna's Fully Automated Fork Truck

In addition to scanning pallet barcodes and send updates to warehouse management systems (WMS), the truck can operate 24/7 using opportunistic charging. 

It is ANSI B56.5 compliant to ensure employee, equipment, and good safety. This safety standard covers unmanned guided industrial vehicles or automatic guided vehicles (AGVs).

The VRSB3000 uses advanced sensors to avoid objects without manual intervention when within a changing environment. A dual decoder system also allows the fork truck to navigate and stage pallets within narrow aisles and maneuver itself in tight spaces.

The sensing components also help to eliminate hazardous and costly mechanical stops. This serves to protect workers, goods, and the life cycle of the autonomous vehicle. 

 

Pivot.al

Vecna's new solution leverages Vecna's multi-agent AI-based orchestration engine, pivot.al. This engine encompasses the intuitive user-interface capabilities, sensor-led navigation, and safety compliance (dynamic envelope protection) previously discussed.

Another aspect of pivot.al is the autonomy stack, which brings together sensor-led navigation and obstacle avoidance and topological reasoning, and local coordinated decision making. These capabilities help to ensure that tasks are completed with the desired outcome and that tasks can continue to be completed when the unexpected occurs.

 

Vecna's orchestration engine for its AVGs, pivot.al. Image courtesy of Vecna Robotics.

 

Pivot.al also includes beacon, a service that combines data analytics, software updates, neural networks, and Vecna's 24/7 remote operations center. Not only does this service support Vecna customers, but it also takes data from Vecna robots, analyzes it, and sends it back to them to help enhance performance. 

In addition to Vecna's new Silverback Series Fork Truck, the company also supplies its Autonomous Tow Tractor suited to long-distance transport of heavy materials and its Autonomous Pallet Truck. The pallet truck is also used for long-distance hauls and heavy payloads and is designed to improve put-away efficiency for lift operators. To find out more about the VRSB3000 and other technologies and solutions by Vecna, you can visit the company site.