Yale Lift Truck adds pedestrian awareness camera to Reliant operator assist lineup

Yale Lift Truck Technologies has announced a new pedestrian awareness camera offering, the latest addition to its Yale Reliant portfolio of active alert and assist technologies. Reliant is designed to boost operator awareness and help support overall safety in the warehouse.

The company said that the new pedestrian awareness camera system can accurately identify pedestrians at ranges up to 16 feet through a 110-degree field of view, and automatically alert the lift truck operator when a pedestrian is detected.

Pedestrian detection utilizes photographic data

Yale said that customers can get the camera system with audible and visual alerts only, or take advantage of a third type of notification, optional traction alerts. Upon pedestrian detection, a voiceover communicates pedestrian proximity and a light indicates which zone the pedestrian is in on the truck-mounted operator remote. Traction alerts go a step further by automatically and gradually slowing down the lift truck, an effect similar to the operator removing their foot from the accelerator.

“Operator awareness is a foundational element of lift truck and pedestrian safety, and the Yale Reliant technology portfolio is designed to provide a helping hand for warehouses facing an increasingly transient labor pool and inexperienced lift truck operators,” says Brad Long, global activation manager, Yale Lift Truck Technologies. “We’re continuing to target the challenges of real-world warehouse environments with research and development, and the pedestrian awareness camera solution offers the capability and configurability that real-world warehouse environments need.”

While the operator remains in ultimate control of the equipment, this deceleration effect is intended to get their attention and encourage action to avoid the detected pedestrian by slowing down, steering away or both.

Yale said the pedestrian awareness detection system was developed using real-world photographic data and adapts to various lighting and environmental conditions. The system is optimized for travel speeds of 5 miles per hour or less, giving operators ample time to identify alerts and react to avoid contact.

The camera is mounted to the rear, forks-trailing side of the lift truck, and alerts disengage once the identified pedestrian is no longer in camera view.

The pedestrian awareness camera marks the latest addition to the Yale Reliant lineup of operator assist technologies, which take input from the work environment and equipment to alert operators of potential hazards and adjust lift truck performance. Reliant was initially launched in 2021, and has since accumulated over 24 million hours of run time on more than 8,300 units deployed in the field.