RGo's visual RTLS solution enables seamless coordination between manual and autonomous equipment, delivering immediate safety and efficiency improvements without infrastructure changes.
Managing warehouses with mixed fleets of manual and autonomous equipment has become one of the most pressing challenges facing logistics managers today. As facilities introduce autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) alongside traditional forklifts, the lack of real-time coordination creates safety risks, operational inefficiencies, and expensive equipment damage.
The solution lies in establishing a shared information layer that gives every piece of moving equipment—regardless of manufacturer or automation level—the ability to know where everything else is located in real-time.
The Mixed Fleet Challenge: A Growing Safety Crisis
The numbers paint a stark picture of warehouse safety challenges. Forklifts were the source of 67 work-related deaths in 2023 and 24,960 nonfatal injuries, with 95 people seriously injured in forklift accidents every day. Approximately 11% of forklifts in the United States will be involved in an accident each year.
Now add autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) to the mix. While AMRs are designed to improve safety, the interaction between manual forklifts and autonomous equipment creates new collision risks. The warehousing sector already has injury rates more than double the national average for all private industries. When manual and autonomous equipment operate without real-time awareness of each other, accidents become inevitable.
Picture this scenario: Your facility operates manual forklifts alongside autonomous robots. Without shared spatial awareness, emergency stops disrupt workflow, productivity suffers, and expensive equipment gets damaged. The problem extends beyond immediate safety—different equipment brands have varying spatial awareness capabilities, making coordination increasingly difficult as mixed fleets become the norm.
"Material flow is like a relay race," explains one logistics manager. "Different participants need to be synchronized to reduce handover delays. The biggest challenge is ensuring all elements work together smoothly."
Real-Time Information: The Foundation for Success
The key to solving mixed fleet management lies in real-time location information. Every moving element needs visibility into where other elements are located and what they're doing, aligned to a common, shared view of the workspace.
This creates the foundation for:
- Collision prevention between manual and autonomous equipment
- Intelligent path planning based on real-time traffic conditions
- Dynamic safety zone enforcement
- Coordinated task allocation across different equipment types
- Continuous operational optimization
RGo's Visual RTLS Solution
RGo's visual Real-Time Location System (RTLS) provides a machine-level solution that transforms any moving equipment into an intelligent, trackable asset without infrastructure changes.
The system works by retrofitting RGo's Perception Engine Box to any forklift, tugger, or mobile equipment. Using advanced visual perception technology, each box:
- Provides real-time location tracking with centimeter-level accuracy
- Creates and continuously updates site maps
- Enables seamless integration with existing fleet management systems
- Works indoors, outdoors, and in dynamic environments
- Requires no dedicated infrastructure or facility modifications
Key Advantages:
- Any Moving Machine: Works with any equipment regardless of make, size, or operation mode (manual, autonomous, or hybrid)
- Infrastructure-Free: No need for expensive sensors, beacons, or networking equipment throughout the facility
- Easy Integration: Simple API connectivity enables integration with existing systems within days
- Versatile Applications: From collision avoidance to asset tracking to AI-powered insights
Real-World Success Stories
Collision Avoidance in Mixed Fleets
A large logistics operator faced mounting collision incidents between manual forklifts and autonomous robots—part of the broader industry challenge where forklift-related accidents result in over 40,000 incidents annually. They deployed RGo's Perception Engine on manual forklifts to bring them into the same real-time coordination system used by autonomous robots.
RGo & Navitec Partner to Enable Safer and More Efficient Mixed Fleet Operations
Results:
- Significant reduction in forklift-AMR collision incidents
- Intelligent path planning based on real-time traffic conditions
- Dynamic no-go zones during peak operations and maintenance
- Significantly improved safety in mixed human-robot environments
"The real-time information brings our manually driven forklifts into the same coordination system as our autonomous robots," reports the facility manager.
Asset Intelligence and Traceability
A major retail distribution center uses real-time localization information generated from human controlled forklifts to automatically track asset movements and environmental interactions.
The system now:
- Automatically collects data on locations visited and zones covered
- Provides visibility into actual movement versus planned missions
- Enables automatic proof-of-location and utilization tracking
- Delivers real-time traceability without infrastructure changes
Results included reduced asset loss, improved utilization metrics, and comprehensive site-wide visibility that previously required manual tracking.
RGo Perception Engine - Visibility without Disruption
AI-Powered Orchestration
A contract manufacturer uses RGo's AI capabilities alongside Perception Engine-equipped forklifts to bring intelligent orchestration to their logistics operation.
The system:
- Understands site layout and vehicle behavior in real-time
- Detects operational bottlenecks like blocked aisles or traffic clusters
- Automatically suggests task rescheduling and vehicle rerouting
- Provides natural-language insights like "Delay mission B15 due to forklift traffic in Zone 3"
This AI-powered coordination delivered significant improvements in throughput, operator efficiency, and downtime reduction.
The Gradual Path to Automation
RGo's approach aligns with the automotive industry's evolution from manual to autonomous vehicles through gradual stages. Rather than requiring immediate full automation, the system enables:
- Stage 1: Enhanced driver assistance with navigation and action guidance
- Stage 2: Semi-autonomous features like automatic speed control in designated zones
- Stage 3: Supervised autonomous operation for specific tasks
- Stage 4: Full autonomous capability where appropriate
This gradual approach allows facilities to capture value at each stage while building toward comprehensive automation without disrupting current operations.
Implementation Made Simple
Unlike traditional RTLS solutions requiring months of installation and significant operational disruption, RGo's system can be deployed in days:
- Retrofit: Install Perception Engine Boxes on existing equipment
- Integrate: Connect to fleet management systems via API
- Operate: Begin collecting real-time location and operational data immediately
- Optimize: Use insights to improve workflows and safety continuously
The system works reliably in any environment—dynamic warehouses, narrow aisles, changing lighting conditions, indoor and outdoor operations—without requiring controlled conditions.
The Future of Mixed Fleet Operations
As warehouses continue integrating more autonomous equipment alongside manual operations, having a shared information layer becomes critical for success. RGo's visual RTLS solution provides the foundation for:
- Safe, coordinated operations between different equipment types
- Real-time optimization based on comprehensive operational data
- Gradual advancement toward greater automation levels
- Flexible adaptation to changing operational requirements
For logistics managers seeking to improve safety and efficiency in mixed fleet environments while preparing for an increasingly automated future, RGo's visual RTLS solution offers immediate value with long-term strategic benefits.
The technology transforms the challenge of mixed fleet coordination into a competitive advantage through real-time visibility, intelligent coordination, and continuous optimization—all without the complexity and expense of traditional infrastructure-based solutions.
Learn More: Visit RGo Robotics - Visual SLAM & Artificial Perception for Mobile Robots to see live demonstrations and access detailed case studies.
Contact: Email us to schedule a consultation with our logistics automation specialists.