Autonomous forklift is economical to operate

April 21, 2022
The Otto Lifter AMR can operate at a lower cost than a human-driven forklift.

Otto Lifter Otto Motors brings 13 years of autonomous material handling experience to the design and manufacture of its range of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). Its Otto Lifter AMR can replace a human-operated forklift and is built to operate in active spaces with features such as route optimization and safety sensors that match its speed to the conditions that surround it.

What’s new? The Otto Lifter, which debuted at the Modex supply chain exhibition in March.

Benefits Low-cost, safe pallet handling. Citing National Safety Council statistics, Otto Motors said that in workplaces with traditional forklifts, forklifts account for 10 percent of all physical injuries. They also account for an average of 85 deaths annually in the U.S. Additionally, with the recent shortage of skilled workers, many facilities may be seeing less-experienced operators driving forklifts. Otto Lifter can be run for as little as $9 per hour, which is substantially less than the cost of a skilled human operator. The AMR can determine if a pallet is properly seated, if it is centered or skewed and whether stretch wrap is covering entry notches.

Otto Motors, Kitchener, Ontario, 844-733-6886, www.ottomotors.com

Vital statistics


Maximum payload

2,640 pounds

Maximum lift height

8.8 feet

Wheelbase

3.8 feet

About the Author

David Tillett | Associate Editor

Associate Editor David Tillett writes and edits for Plastics Machinery & Manufacturing, Plastics Recycling and The Journal of Blow Molding. He covers new products, industry news, patents and consumer and business equipment. He has more than 20 years of experience in daily newspaper, online and magazine journalism.