Autonomous vehicles promise to revolutionise not just the world’s roadways, but also its manufacturing and logistics centres. Autonomous guided vehicles (AGVs) have been streamlining production operations for more than half a century. These units generally deliver parts to workstations by following predetermined routes along guidance wires or RFID chips installed in the factory floor.
Yard tractors have also been incorporating growing levels of automation and could help reshape automotive production and logistics operations. At its Model Factory, Germany supplier giant ZF has been exploring the use of autonomous terminal yard tractors that can manoeuvre trailers in defined areas. The 5G CAL (5G Connected Autonomous Logistics) project at Nissan’s Sunderland plant in the UK is taking things up a notch. Here, a 40-tonne yard tractor was converted by StreetDrone for connectivity, drive-by-wire, teleoperation/supervision and autonomous operation. This vehicle has been carrying loads along a private road route between a nearby parts warehouse and Nissan Sunderland’s main manufacturing plant, distributing parts and assemblies on a just-in-time basis.
