Its technology is also used in the Nilfisk SC50, a commercial cleaning robot used at Pittsburgh International Airport. Thoro.ai develops autonomy stacks for mobile robots. Thoro.ai gives autonomy boostīig Joe enlisted the help of Pittsburgh-based Thoro.ai to equip the forklift with self-driving technology. The company noted that it plans to bring additional commercial offerings in the years to come. It was launched in October 2022, and the Pallet Mover is the first big product to come out of it.

It’s very easy to use.”īig Joe’s autonomous division is still new. “We are able to come in and have that mapping done within an hour,” he said. Set up in an hourĪnd setup takes minutes, not hours, Malewicki added. “This collaborative approach uses self-driving technology as a productivity force multiplier by allowing workers to focus on higher-value tasks or direct multiple independent workflows concurrently,” Big Joe said. If the robot gets into trouble, workers can intervene and operate it manually. Workers on the floor can task the robot to move across a facility once it is loaded up using a tablet attached to it. The robot takes advantage of lidar and a camera system to navigate autonomously, the company said. With the Big Joe Pallet Mover, the company said it is providing an easy-to-use autonomous option that includes the functionality of a conventional lift truck. In an interview with Robotics 24/7, Nicholas Malewicki, the general manager of Big Joe’s autonomous division, said customers typically struggle to deploy these types of systems rapidly, and it takes them a while before they see a strong return on investment ( ROI). Customers will see ROI quickly, says Big Joe It can operate continuously for 10 hours on a charge, according to a press release announcing the robot. (1,995 kg) and has a maximum speed of about 2.8 mph. The pallet mover can transports payloads up to 4,400 lb. The Saint Carson, Calif.-based company said the new robot was designed to be set up and in use in less than an hour. Last month at ProMat 2023 in Chicago, Big Joe Forklifts, in partnership with Thoro.ai, unveiled its first autonomous offering: The Big Joe Pallet Mover.

Big joe lift trucks