BYD, an electric forklift manufacturer has developed a driverless forklift with military contractor Singapore Technologies Engineering, aiming to tap into global demand for the labor-saving equipment.
The self-driving machines, developed under a partnership BYD signed with ST Engineering, will be marketed in China, Southeast Asia and elsewhere starting in November.
The forklift has improved features such as target guidance, route selection and obstacle avoidance. In addition to defense equipment, ST Engineering, a unit of Singapore sovereign wealth fund Temasek Holdings, is active in the robotics sector.
Shenzhen-based BYD launched its driverless forklift business in 2009, delivering to customers in over 100 Chinese cities. Chinese e-commerce platform JD.com is buying a few thousand BYD forklifts this year to improve efficiency at warehouses.
Global automakers such as Volkswagen, General Motors and Toyota Motoralso use BYD’s forklifts in warehouses. Competition is expected to heat up in the field as such rivals as Toyota Industries and Mitsubishi Logisnext are planning to unveil their own autonomous forklifts.
