Yale recognised for operator assist technology

Yale Lift Truck Technologies has announced that Yale Reliant, a first-of-its-kind operator assist technology, has earned an honourable mention in the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards. The solution, which automatically intervenes to help lift truck operators avoid potential hazards, was recognised in the enterprise category as an innovative approach to B2B products and services.

“Whether it’s a pedestrian unexpectedly walking in front of a lift truck, or an operator taking a turn too quickly, accidents can happen in today’s warehouses. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has even launched a national programme to help curb injury and illness rates in the warehousing industry, which are considerably higher than those of other industries,” says Joe Koch, sales manager – Emerging Technology, Yale Lift Truck Technologies. “This latest accolade from Fast Company is further recognition of the real-world value of this technology, helping warehouses tackle one of their greatest challenges – supporting proper operating habits.”

Yale Reliant keeps the operator in ultimate control of the lift truck, but automatically applies interventions in response to compromised stability, when obstacles are detected in the path of travel or in close proximity, and even based on rules customers specify for certain areas of their warehouse. Adjustments, such as a reduction to travel speed or a smoothing of forklift or tilt movement, are carefully measured to avoid abrupt shifts or jerks that can upset stability. The changes remain noticeable enough for operators to feel, and the system also communicates the cause through a display screen, providing an additional layer of feedback to help reinforce proper operation established during training.

Other companies recognised in this year’s Innovation by Design program include Microsoft, IBM, Mailchimp, Canva, The North Face, Estée Lauder, Capital One, Yeti, Squarespace and more.

Yale Reliant is currently available on 18 models and is already commercially deployed on more than 7800 lift truck units. The technology, which has previously been recognized with a Silver Edison Award, was developed to help support a customer’s warehouse lift truck safety initiative and is the result of an investment of more than 40,000 hours of research and development.