Premise
In manual carts, there's a constant need to keep pushing the cart and usually no assistance when loading or unloading heavy objects. If used repetitively or for long hours, users are more likely to experience fatigue and an increased risk of injury.
Smart carts or trolleys are robots that can help to alleviate the physical labor that human operators experience. Building off of design requirements from the previous two generations of GraviKart, the third generation concept focuses on aiding factory workers in loading and transporting objects with less manual labor.
Process
Through conversations with Schaeffler Singapore's internal engineers and employees at Schaeffler's overseas plants, I had a better understanding of the feasibility constraints (i.e. the need for the handlebar to connect to a torque sensor) and the pain points of having a smart cart navigate the inside of a factory.
Following user interviews, I sketched ideas based on the insights found, did CAD modeling for shortlisted concepts that were more feasible, and visualized the final outcome.
Product
To maintain the 300kg payload requirement while allowing movement of objects in two directions, the scissor lift and conveyor belt components were added in the housing of the cart to reduce manual labor in loading. After placing KLT boxes containing objects and unloading them, the user can raise the platform and have the conveyor belt roll forward the boxes onto a truck or on a shelf.
With 4 operational modes (Autonomous, Follow-Me, Remote Control, Manual Control), GraviKart 3.0 offers a range of autonomy and adapts to different tasks in the factory.
