Systems and methods for using human-operated material-transport vehicles with fleet-management systems
There is provided a driver-support system for use with a human-operated material-transport vehicle, and methods for using the same. The system has at least one sensor, a human-vehicle interface, and a transceiver for communicating with a fleet-management system. The system also has a processor that is configured to provide a mapping application and a localization application based on information received from the sensor. The mapping application and localization application may be provided in a single localization-and-mapping (“SLAM”) application, which may obtain input from the sensor, for example, when the sensor is an optical sensor such as a LiDAR or video camera.
1. A method of using a human-operated material-transport vehicle with a fleet-management system, comprising:
operating a driver-support system, the driver-support system comprising a processor, the processor operable to:
receive a mission definition from the fleet-management system, wherein the mission definition comprises one or more tasks to be conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
plan a trajectory based on the mission definition;
display the trajectory via a human-vehicle interface to assist the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle to conduct the one or more tasks, the human-vehicle interface being located remotely from the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
monitor and collect, using at least one of the human-vehicle interface or at least one sensor mounted to the human-operated material-transport vehicle, a vehicle-mission information associated with an operation of the human-operated material-transport vehicle by the operator within an industrial facility associated with the fleet-management system; and
transmit the vehicle-mission information to the fleet-management system during the operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
during the operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle for completing the one or more tasks:
operate the fleet-management system to:
monitor, based on the received vehicle-mission information, a task status of each task of the one or more tasks being conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
in response to detecting a change in a task status of at least one task, generate and transmit an updated mission definition to the human-operated material-transport vehicle based on the change in the task status; and
operate the driver-support system to:
in response to receiving the updated mission definition, update the trajectory based on the updated mission definition; and
display the updated trajectory via the human-vehicle interface.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the vehicle-mission information comprises at least one of:
one or more user inputs from the operator providing task-related data via the human-vehicle interface; or
at least one of a vehicle location or a vehicle velocity determined from sensor data generated by the at least one sensor.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the driver-support system is located within the industrial facility.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprises operating the processor to determine vehicle-proximity information associated with the human-operated material-transport vehicle.
5. The method of claim 4 , further comprises operating the processor to perform collision-avoidance based on the vehicle-proximity information.
6. The method of claim 1 , further comprises operating the processor to determine kinematics information associated with the human-operated material transport vehicle based on the trajectory.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the human-operated material-transport vehicle comprises a forklift; and the vehicle-mission information comprises payload information including payload dimensions.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprises operating the processor to determine forklift-proximity information associated with the forklift.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprises operating the processor to perform collision-avoidance based on the forklift-proximity information.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprises operating the processor to determine kinematics information associated with the human-operated material transport vehicle based on the trajectory and the payload information.
11. A system for using a human-operated material-transport vehicle with a fleet-management system, the system comprising:
the fleet-management system; and
a driver-support system comprising:
at least one sensor mounted to the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
a human-vehicle interface located remotely from the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
a transceiver for communicating with a fleet-management system; and
a processor operable to communicate with the at least one sensor, the human-vehicle interface and the transceiver, the processor being operable to:
receive a mission definition from the fleet-management system, wherein the mission definition comprises one or more tasks to be conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle;
plan a trajectory based on the mission definition;
display the trajectory via the human-vehicle interface to assist the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle to conduct the one or more tasks;
monitor and collect, using at least one of the human-vehicle interface or the at least one sensor, a vehicle-mission information associated with an operation of the human-operated material-transport vehicle by the operator within an industrial facility associated with the fleet-management system; and
transmit the vehicle-mission information to the fleet-management system during operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
during the operation by the operator of the human-operated material-transport vehicle for completing the one or more tasks,
the fleet-management system being operable to:
monitor, based on the received vehicle-mission information, a task status of each task of the one or more tasks being conducted by the human-operated material-transport vehicle; and
in response to detecting a change in a task status of at least one task, generate and transmit an updated mission definition to the human-operated material-transport vehicle based on the change in the task status; and
the processor of the driver-support system being further operable to:
in response to receiving the updated mission definition, update the trajectory based on the updated mission definition; and
display the updated trajectory via the human-vehicle interface.
12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the vehicle-mission information comprises at least one of:
one or more user inputs from the operator providing a task-related data via the human-vehicle interface; or
at least one of a vehicle location or a vehicle velocity determined from sensor data generated by the at least one sensor.
13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the driver-support system is located within the industrial facility.
14. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine vehicle-proximity information associated with the human-operated material-transport vehicle.
15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the processor is configured to perform collision-avoidance based on the vehicle-proximity information.
16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to determine kinematics information associated with the human-operated material transport vehicle based on the trajectory.
17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the human-operated material-transport vehicle comprises a forklift; and the vehicle-mission information comprises payload information including payload dimensions.
18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the processor is configured to determine forklift-proximity information associated with the forklift.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is configured to perform collision-avoidance based on the forklift-proximity information.
20. The system of claim 19 , wherein the processor is configured to determine kinematics information associated with the human-operated material transport vehicle based on the trajectory and the payload information.