KION and Fraunhofer IML Industrialize the ‘LoadRunner’

The KION Group and Fraunhofer IML are industrializing a new generation of autonomous transport vehicles with the LoadRunner. The intralogistics company is licensing the AI-equipped driverless transport vehicles from the research institute. A joint ‘Enterprise Lab’ is set to further develop the highly dynamic vehicle swarm.

(Frankfurt/Dortmund) KION GROUP AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics (IML) aim to partner in transitioning the autonomous vehicle swarm ‘Load Runner’, equipped with distributed artificial intelligence, from prototype to industrialization and technical advancement. To this end, the research institute and the intralogistics company are establishing a joint ‘Enterprise Lab’. Additionally, KION is licensing the LoadRunner technology from Fraunhofer IML for use within the international corporate group.

With the LoadRunner, Fraunhofer IML has developed a new generation of driverless transport vehicles with enormous sorting capabilities. Its distributed intelligent vehicle coordination is set to elevate the autonomous high-speed vehicle to a new level of swarm robotics. The transport vehicles boast the acceleration of a sports car and are entering a whole new performance class. The common goal of KION Group and Fraunhofer IML is the industrialization and optimization of AI-based swarm technology from the sensor to the overlaid platform.

Artificial Intelligence Revolutionizes Intralogistics

‘Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing the industry, and we are actively contributing to this. Expanding artificial intelligence for our products and software solutions is a key component of our strategy ‘KION 2027′,’ says Gordon Riske, CEO of KION GROUP AG. ‘The innovative LoadRunner technology and the partnership with Fraunhofer IML will help us make processes in our customers’ warehouses even simpler, faster, and more efficient – a significant relief for the logistics teams on-site and a clear increase in profitability.’

‘With its artificial intelligence, the LoadRunner will become the blueprint for the intralogistics industry on the path to a real-time connected digital platform economy,’ adds Prof. Michael ten Hompel, managing director of Fraunhofer IML. ‘The vehicle swarms combine the capabilities of powerful sorting and conveying technology with the potentials of autonomous AI-based systems. The launch of the joint Enterprise Lab with KION Group impressively underscores the disruptive potential of this technology. With KION, we have gained a think tank of intralogistics as a partner that will open up markets worldwide with the LoadRunner.’

Researching and Optimizing Together

In the Enterprise Lab at Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund, eight employees from both partners will work together on the further development of the LoadRunner technology. The lab is expected to commence operations this September and is designed for a duration of at least three years.

Currently, a LoadRunner can move dynamically in a swarm at speeds of up to 10 m/s. If necessary, multiple vehicles and up to four passive trailers can magnetically couple together to transport large and bulky items. With its dynamics and omnidirectional chassis, the LoadRunner is perfectly suited for sorting and distribution processes. The load release occurs without additional actuation solely through inertia when braking the vehicle. A single LoadRunner can transport and sort loads of up to approximately 30 kg on its own. Thus, it can also be used for the transport and sorting of luggage at airports.

10,000 Shipments Per Hour with Just 60 Vehicles

The LoadRunner developed by Fraunhofer IML made its first appearance at the Digital Summit 2019 as part of a project funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI). In September 2020, an investigation into the use of the LoadRunner for parcel sorting yielded the first promising results: With just 60 vehicles, it is theoretically possible to sort well over 10,000 shipments per hour. Thus, 60 LoadRunners already reach performance levels of classic sorting systems. In contrast to these, however, the LoadRunner requires significantly less fixed infrastructure and offers much faster commissioning, dynamic performance adjustment, and higher scalability.

‘In the ‘Silicon Economy’, the digital platform economy of the future, vehicle swarms will self-organize and communicate with people, other swarms, and platforms to fulfill their mission,’ predicts ten Hompel. Thanks to artificial intelligence, the LoadRunner is capable of independently accepting and negotiating orders – thus ‘a revolution for logistics.’

Photo: © KION Group