French automated materials handling solutions provider Alstef Group has launched its new autonomous intelligent vehicle (AIV) which features what the company describes as “an advanced perception bubble”.

Going beyond obstacle detection, the AIV is the next step in the evolution of the autonomous guided vehicle (AGV) development, Alstef states, using both AI and automation to make materials handling safer.

The advanced perception bubble is described as “a continuously updated awareness zone that enables the vehicle to detect, interpret, and respond intelligently to people, equipment, and environmental changes within its operating area”.

“Within this perception bubble, the AIV goes beyond simple obstacle detection,” Alstef Group continues. “By combining on-board cameras with artificial intelligence models, the vehicle is able to classify objects in its environment, distinguishing, for example, between pedestrians, manual carts, pallets, and fixed infrastructure. 

“This semantic understanding allows the AIV to adapt its behaviour contextually, improving both safety and operational efficiency in shared spaces.”

Alstef says the AIV can be used on both greenfield and brownfield sites and has been designed to integrate into existing facilities without the need for extensive infrastructure changes.

The AIV adapts its docking trajectory based on the actual position of a pallet and it can determine whether the pallet is empty or loaded to autonomously calculate its destination.

The perception bubble is available in two configurations - a light perception bubble which covers the front and rear of the vehicle, while the full perception bubble covers 360-degrees.

“True autonomy depends on continuous environmental awareness,” says Matthieu Crosnier, intralogistics sales director at Alstef Group. 

“The perception bubble at the heart of our new AIV enables safer, more intelligent interactions between autonomous vehicles and their surroundings, while simplifying system implementation and improving user comfort.”