FEATURE Materials Handling & Conveying
Fusion Processing and Bradshaw Electric Vehicles jointly
develop autonomous tow tractors Fully autonomous (unmanned) tow tractors, aka “tugs”, will transform warehouse and airport logistics, with improved safety, efficiency and energy savings
F
usion Processing and Bradshaw Electric Vehicles have joined forces to develop fully autonomous (unmanned) tow tractors, also
known as “tugs”, trucks widely used in factory, warehouse and airport logistics to haul baggage trailers and goods trailers. “We fi rmly believe that autonomous vehicles can transform the logistics of large warehouses and airports, where tow tractors are used extensively to haul trailers and baggage carts. We can apply our AI and engineering expertise developed on numerous autonomous vehicle projects, including the world’s fi rst full-sized autonomous bus, to transform the warehouse logistics industry,” said Jim Hutchinson, Fusion Processing’s CEO. Autonomising electric vehicles such as these will both improve safety and drive huge operational effi ciencies in terms of refi ning logistics of complex environments where the smooth running and timely delivery of goods and baggage are key to larger sectors such as fl ight schedules and haulage and where effi ciency savings are counted in seconds.
Joint efforts Fusion Processing’s CAVstar control and sensing system will be utilised to make Bradshaw’s third-generation T700 and T800 tow tractors fully autonomous (unmanned). The state-of-the-art artifi cial
CAVstar-1by Fusion Processing
intelligence (AI) system uses a range of sensors including LIDAR, optical cameras and ultrasonics to build a picture of the environment around the vehicle and plot the most effi cient safe route through it. This means the autonomous tow tractors can be operated safely inside factories where a GPS signal is unavailable and without having to install an extensive infrastructure. The compact CAVstar system can be
retrofi tted to any vehicle, where it controls the throttle, braking and steering systems to provide full autonomous operation. The CAVstar system will be confi gured for the electric vehicle, and tuned to deliver more effi cient throttle and braking control than is possible by a human driver, especially when pulling an eight-tonne load. “Our third-generation T700 and T800 tow tractor is an ideal model to autonomise, as production lines often run a 24-hour operation and the 48V system and rollout battery lends itself to extended run-time applications removing the need for shift changes and downtime,” said Drew Bradshaw, joint Managing Director of Bradshaw Electric Vehicles.
CAVForth offerings Fusion Processing is well-known worldwide for its autonomous drive systems for buses thanks to project CAVForth which in 2020 saw a fl eet of fi ve AV level 4 /5 buses carrying up to 10,000 passengers per week.
Founded in 2012 to design and build world-leading systems for automating vehicles and technology to improve vehicle safety, Fusion develops and makes automated driving systems, situational awareness and control systems technology. Among the company’s innovations are the CAVstar autonomous driving system and CycleEye CMS, a mirror replacement system for buses and trucks, designed and developed in-house at its Bristol, UK headquarters. Today, Fusion is also involved in
20 December/January 2021 | Automation
T803 electric vehicle by Bradshaw Electric Vehicles
enabling road safety through its smart city traffi c management systems, which are expected to transform the automotive industry.
EVs
Bradshaw is the UK’s largest manufacturer of industrial electric vehicles (EVs). Established in 1975, the fi rm has been delivering electric transport solutions for reduced costs of ownership and improved effi ciency. Its range includes electric road and utility vehicles, people carriers, tow tractors, load carriers, walkalong tugs and bin trailers, supplied to a broad spectrum of companies for various applications, including manufacturing and line feeds, logistics and distribution, hospitals, railways and airports, and waste movement.
CONTACT:
Fusion Processing
www.fusionproc.com Bradshaw Electric Vehicles
www.bradshawev.com
automationmagazine.co.uk
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