Linde Material Handling aims to eliminate the 'blind spot' on the forklift truck with a so-called 'Surround View' system. This ambient camera system should significantly reduce the number of accidents in warehouses.
In the automotive industry, such surround cameras are already being used for parking. These systems consist of several cameras, whose individual images are merged into a single image via software. The on-board computer then places the contours of the vehicle in this image and shows it to the driver as a virtual perspective.
Surround view from four areas
With the Surround View system, Linde says it is going a step further. Here, too, the image comes from live cameras around the forklift truck. However, instead of one overall image, one image at the front, two images at the side and one image at the back are shown. The camera images are shown in a 1:1 ratio on a split screen, on the monitor near the driver's workstation. This prevents the parts where the cameras overlap from being displayed distorted and unclear. Therefore, when someone is present in the area where 2 cameras overlap, that person is visible on both images.
As soon as the forklift driver drives forward, all four areas are shown on the display. When the forklift drives backwards, the display shows the rear and side images.
Read also:Linde presents technology to compensate for uneven floors
Surround View useful in confined spaces
"The new option will initially be offered for all forklift models with a capacity of 4 tonnes and above," says Frank Bergmann, product manager for forklifts at Linde Material Handling. Especially in small spaces and when manoeuvring, Bergmann says this option is an addition: "Every corner around the truck becomes visible to the driver. And that is especially crucial in places where space is limited, or where people and forklifts frequently encounter each other, in order to work safely."
