ICT in Intra-Logistics

The use of forklift trucks implies a high risk of accidents in intra-logistics. Due to the demographic change and the forthcoming skilled worker shortage, it becomes more and more important for logistics companies to preserve the health of their workers, since the loss of know-how can often not be compensated especially in small and medium-sized enterprises. Therefore, the development of new technologies, that raise safety and efficiency and that support cognitive ability in working environments, will become increasingly important in the future. This article presents the concept of an assistance system for forklift trucks that is developed in the scope of the research project “IntraSafe”. It is based on a linkage of workers and forklifts via infrared technology that enables a combination of collision avoidance and intelligent routing of forklift trucks for increasing safety and efficiency of logistics processes.