Pittsburgh, PA -- (SBWire) -- 07/27/2016 --Seegrid, the pioneer and leader in three-dimensional vision navigation, was recently profiled in The Fabricator magazine. The feature was authored by Tim Heston, titled, "Automated Guided Vehicles Get Flexible." Heston explained, "Historically, AGVs have been programmed to go a specific route using wires, magnetic tape, or a vision system based on laser technology. But camera-based AGVs have also hit the market. According to Jeff Christensen, vice president, products, for Pittsburgh, PA-based Seegrid, such camera-based technology helps make AGVs more flexible. It doesn't take long to teach an AGV a new route, and the vehicle itself need not ride along a marked track.
Seegrid's AGV system has five "stereo" pairs of cameras that capture a 3-D image of the space around it. The cameras create a "point cloud" or grid around the truck. The system then saves that data to define the space along the AGV's driving path. In effect, the vehicle "sees" the "grid"—hence the company name, Seegrid.
To program the system, employees guide the AGV along its defined path, its stops, starts, pickups, dropoffs, and other required actions. If the truck needs to honk its horn at a certain intersection, it can be programmed to do so. During training, the AGV "sees" the surrounding area and builds a 3-D map to define the route. This route then can be downloaded to other AGVs in the factory. If the path needs to be changed, an employee guides the AGV once down the new path, after which it remembers the new route, sending the program to other AGVs as needed.
The Fabricator is North America's leading magazine for the metal forming and fabricating industry. The magazine delivers the news, technical articles, and case histories that enable fabricators to do their jobs more efficiently.
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About Seegrid
Seegrid (http://www.seegrid.com) provides unique and revolutionary automation technology for materials handling. Engineered with state-of-the-art Seegrid Vision, industrial trucks are transformed into the next generation of AGVs: vision guided vehicles (VGVs). VGVs navigate without wires, lasers, magnets, or tape, and deliver unmatched flexibility. Designed for simplicity, reliability, and safety, the Seegrid flexible automation solution is offered in a line of pallet trucks and tow tractors.
An award-winning organization, Seegrid is experiencing significant growth both in employees and customers. Multi-billion dollar organizations focused on lean manufacturing best-practices are turning to the Pittsburgh-based robotics leader. From large automotive operations to retail distribution centers, Seegrid VGVs are advancing the reality of a North American Fork Truck Free approach. VGVs improve workplace safety, reduce equipment and product damage, and deliver a rapid return on investment, dramatically reducing production downtime.
Follow Seegrid on Twitter at @Seegrid.
Seegrid Vision Guided Vehicles Profiled in the Fabricator Magazine