Automatic Robot Forklift Essay -- Robotics

Robotic Forklift Background Our final project is a semi-automatic Robotic Forklift, which will receive directions of where to go from a remote control and be autonomous from then on. The robotic forklift system is designed for use by companies dealing with medium to large sized inventories, including warehouses and storage facilities. Companies with large inventories in warehouses need to be able to quickly and easily transport these goods within the warehouse without concerning human operators with the monotonous task of operating forklifts. Storage companies have a similar need; they must take in and store large inventories while also being able to quickly and easily access these items on demand. The use of human operators can be costly and wasteful. By eliminating human operators companies are able to lower labor costs and increase efficiency. Human factory employees need to be paid and given benefits like health insurance and paid vacation time. Since robots don’t need breaks and vacations! and are not paid, they are able to operate with more speed than humans in the long run and at lower costs. The first mass storage in human history was the granary, usually a large building used to store threshed grain or animal feed in pottery containers, and often situated off the ground to keep the stores away from water. The earliest known granary was found in the Jordan River Valley, and was estimated to have been constructed around 9500 B.C.E. ("Granary", Wikipedia) Buildings used for storage have greatly evolved in both form and functionality in the time since then, but for the most part, they have always been stocked and managed by human beings, albeit with the help of lifting devices such as the forklift. Only ... ...dvantage, these wholesale stores could also use the forklift to restock the shelves. Resources/Works Cited: "Introduction to robots and android humanoids".11/24/2005. 7/24/2006. Raithel,Tom . "Robots Replace forklift drivers.". CourierPress. 5/14/2005. accessed through: Robot Gossip drivers.html>.7/24/2006 "Automated Warehousing" 7/24/2006 â€Å"Bertello S.p.A† 7/24/2006 Corecon. â€Å"Robotic Forklifts for Industry† 7/24/2006 & 8/3/2006 â€Å"Granary†7/24/2006 â€Å"Warehouse†7/24/2006