As automation transforms the logistics industry, autonomous forklifts are gaining prominence through their efficiency and precision. However, a crucial yet often overlooked aspect remains: even the most advanced autonomous forklifts depend on human intelligence and collaboration. These machines are not truly "unmanned" devices but rather extensions and enhancements of human operators. As autonomous forklifts become increasingly prevalent, how will the human role evolve, and how will this partnership redefine logistics efficiency?
Autonomous Forklifts: Not "Unmanned" but "Human-Assisted"
The rise of autonomous forklifts doesn't signal the complete disappearance of human operators. In reality, even fully autonomous robotic forklifts require performance monitoring and exception-handling technologies—processes typically supported by human oversight. Some forklifts even feature "dual-mode" functionality, allowing both autonomous operation and manual control by trained operators for specific tasks. While widespread adoption will reduce the overall demand for human operators, their role remains essential in many deployment scenarios.
Daniel Theobold, founder of Vecna Robotics and co-founder of MassRobotics, observes: "Humans and autonomous vehicles are interconnected in multiple ways. This relationship resembles a supervisor-supervised dynamic. Robots are intelligent, but they're not magical. They require assistance and oversight, just as human workers do."
Vecna's autonomous solutions include fleet management software and remote support services. Theobold emphasizes that while autonomous technology has proven effective, building remote support and exception-handling mechanisms ensures rapid problem resolution when unexpected issues arise.
Exception Handling: The Value of Human Intelligence
Autonomous forklifts perform well under ideal conditions—closed aisles, perfect loads, and pristine pallets. Real-world environments, however, frequently present challenges requiring online support and exception management. As suppliers note: "The key lies in recognizing when situations become exceptional."
Theobold explains: "Quick resolution capability is essential for maintaining fleet safety and reliability." Human support staff bring cognitive skills that enable robots to make safe, effective decisions. This "human-in-the-loop" approach proves superior to programming autonomous platforms to ignore potentially hazardous inputs. The safest option remains human intervention for exception resolution to sustain optimal performance.
Jim Gaskell, Global Director of Automation and Emerging Technologies at Crown Equipment, notes that human involvement levels often vary by application and environmental control. Crown's dual-mode autonomous forklifts demonstrate this flexibility—while operating autonomously most of the time, trained operators might manually navigate around unexpected obstacles or complete unplanned deliveries in about 10% of cases.
Expanding Options: Meeting Diverse Needs
The autonomous forklift market continues introducing cost-effective solutions for automating irregular, low-volume tasks. For example, Vecna and Big Joe recently partnered to launch the autonomous pallet jack Vecna CPJ, while Big Joe offers its collaborative "BUD" pallet jack—designed for both autonomous operation and manual control when needed.
Bill Pedriana, Chief Marketing Officer at Big Joe, explains these cobot pallet jacks address underserved needs: low-volume autonomous pallet movements for ad hoc tasks initiated by frontline workers. Without such solutions, workers often spend significant time manually transporting loads. The systems allow task configuration without warehouse management system integration, with monthly robotics-as-a-service fees making automation accessible to smaller operations.
Shared Autonomy: The Future of Human-Machine Collaboration
Third Wave Automation advocates a "multi-modal" approach to autonomous forklifts, combining autonomous operation with remote monitoring and full remote control—a concept they term "shared autonomy." Product Lead Matt Willis explains their system enables nearly continuous autonomous operation while allowing distribution center personnel to supervise multiple trucks and intervene during unexpected situations.
Willis states: "We believe combining experienced operators' knowledge with autonomous systems' capabilities represents the next step in warehouse efficiency. Our system effectively gives operators superpowers—enabling one person to oversee multiple autonomous units simultaneously, which was impossible with manual operation."
High-Density Automation: Prioritizing Efficiency
Martin Buena-Franco, Automation Product Marketing Manager at Raymond Corp., observes that while human interaction persists in many autonomous forklift applications, high-density storage areas increasingly adopt full automation integrated with warehouse management systems. Raymond's automated reach trucks and swing-reach trucks operate in fully autonomous mode, receiving direct WMS instructions to maximize efficiency in very narrow aisle, high-density environments.
Buena-Franco notes: "The industry trend toward taller, narrower aisles for space efficiency, combined with autonomous technology advancements, has shifted focus toward full autonomy in high-density storage." These systems can potentially deliver efficiency and accuracy improvements comparable to more expensive automated storage and retrieval systems, particularly in multi-shift operations.