APPLICATION:
Autonomous Tow Tractor

RADARS DEPLOYED:
DRVEGRD 152 & DRVEGRD 169

DETECTION GOAL:
Ensuring the safety of humans around the vehicle

Autonomous Tow Tractors for Airports & Industrial Sites: smartmicro sensor Integration

Autonomous tow tractors are increasingly being used in industrial sites and airports to autonomously transport goods, offering significant improvements in operational efficiency. These vehicles operate using Level 4 autonomous driving technology, which requires no human intervention. Given the complexity of such environments, ensuring the safety of pedestrians and other objects around these vehicles is critical. smartmicro sensor technology plays a pivotal role in obstacle detection, enabling safe operation even in challenging conditions.

The Challenge

A smartmicro customer, tow tractor manufacturer, faced several challenges when implementing autonomous tow tractors in dynamic environments like airports and industrial sites:

  • Pedestrian Safety: Ensuring the safe and efficient movement of autonomous tow tractors around pedestrians, particularly at busy site intersections, where foot traffic is high, and the risk of collisions increases.
  • Obstacle Detection: The ability to accurately detect both stationary and moving obstacles in real-time was crucial, as the vehicles needed to navigate through areas with human traffic, heavy equipment, and other vehicles.
  • Extreme Weather Conditions: The operational environment can be prone to extreme weather conditions such as fog, snow, rain, and dust, making reliable obstacle detection even more important.
     

The Solution

smartmicro integrated its cutting-edge sensor technology into the autonomous tow tractors to provide comprehensive, reliable, and precise obstacle detection. The integration of the DRVEGRD 152 and DRVEGRD 169 sensors ensures full coverage around the vehicle, allowing it to safely navigate both short and long-range obstacles. These sensors provide high-resolution, real-time data, enabling the tractor to detect both stationary and moving obstacles, even in the most demanding environments.
The integration of these sensors directly addresses the need for safety around pedestrians and other dynamic elements present in complex industrial and airport settings. Additionally, smartmicro's sensors are specifically designed to operate in extreme weather conditions, ensuring that the autonomous tow tractors maintain reliable performance, regardless of the environment.

Integrated smartmicro Sensors:

  • DRVEGRD 152: Long-range detection sensors with up to 180 meters of range, ideal for wide-area scanning around the vehicle, ensuring early detection of obstacles in both on-road and off-road environments.
  • DRVEGRD 169: Short-range sensors that detect obstacles as close as 0.1 meters, perfect for tight spaces, parking, and handling applications in confined environments, as well as off-road use.
     

The Results and Benefits

The integration of smartmicro sensors into the autonomous tow tractors has resulted in several key benefits:

  • Enhanced Pedestrian and Obstacle Safety: The sensors provide real-time, high-resolution data, ensuring that the vehicles can detect and avoid both stationary and moving obstacles, significantly improving safety for pedestrians and other vehicles in the area.
  • Reliable Operation in Extreme Weather: The sensors performed consistently under harsh weather conditions, including snow, fog, and rain, allowing the autonomous tow tractors to maintain optimal functionality year-round without interruption.
  • Increased Efficiency and Productivity: By minimizing the need for human intervention, the integration of smartmicro sensors helped streamline operations, speeding up material handling and ensuring safe, efficient transport of goods. This resulted in higher productivity and fewer delays in the customer's operations.
  • Cost-Effective Solution: smartmicro’s sensors provide high-resolution detection capabilities at a competitive price, delivering a cost-effective solution for the customer while maintaining high levels of safety and operational efficiency.
     

The Conclusion

The successful integration of smartmicro’s sensor technology into the autonomous tow tractors has greatly enhanced the safety, reliability, and efficiency. With the ability to detect obstacles in both short and long ranges, operate in extreme weather conditions, and provide real-time, high-resolution data, the sensors ensure the autonomous vehicles can safely navigate complex environments like airports and industrial sites. As the demand for autonomous solutions grows, smartmicro remains committed to continuous innovation, offering tailored solutions and product improvements to meet the evolving needs of the autonomous transport industry.