Port Vehicle Navigation

Autonomously guided vehicles (AGVs) are becoming increasingly common in the industrial workplace. Small vehicles have been utilised inside factories as an aid to transport components of completed assemblies for decades. The environment on a factory floor can be set up to provide optimum conditions for these machines to operate effectively. This may include the placement of markers on the floor for the machine to follow or retro-reflective strips for a laser scanner. Adverse weather and uneven surfaces are rarely a problem in these situations.

Automated Straddle Carriers

AGVs are increasingly being used in mines, ports and other unstructured environments. For robust, reliable operation they must operate over the full range of climatic conditions, including rain, fog and dust. To this end, a sensor is required that can accurately measure surrounding features under all operating conditions. The ability of an autonomous vehicle to use such measurements in order to localise is probably one of the most important aspects of AGV control.

Navtech's radar sensor is ideal for outdoor vehicle guidance. In addition to the navigation function, the radar can also be used for obstacle detection. Safety of AGVs and those working around them is an important consideration. If the sensor is placed at a suitable location on the vehicle it can be used to perform both navigation and obstacle detection functions simultaneously.

The target beacons used for navigation are designed to have high radar cross-section and return a strong signal. If a signal is greater than the higher of the thresholds and is up to 200m away then it is classified as a navigation measurement. If a signal is greater than a lower threshold and in the range up to 50m then it is of interest to the obstacle detection system. Of course a signal less than 50m, but greater than the higher threshold is of interest to both the navigation and the obstacle detection processes and two messages are generated.

For further information and a comparison of the radar navigation system with differential GPS position please follow the link.

Vehicle Navigation with Navtech 77GHz FMCW Radar (Downloadable .pdf)