Stratom demonstrates new autonomous pallet loader vehicle

Stratom, a developer of autonomous ground vehicles and robotic systems for logistics and operational applications, says it has successfully completed field demonstration of its patent-pending ATLAS vehicle, Stratom’s advanced autonomous pallet loader.

Whether operated via tethered remote control or preprogrammed with repeatable operations, Stratom’s ATLAS platform reduces crew needs while loading, unloading and transporting cargo in military and commercial applications, ultimately increasing speed, flexibility, efficiency, dependability and safety.

Last June, Stratom announced that the US Marine Corps awarded the company a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase 2 contract to develop a prototype autonomous pallet loader.

Because loading and unloading cargo from aircraft can be difficult and potentially dangerous, the ATLAS platform was selected to exponentially increase the efficiency and safety of aircraft cargo loading tasks.

Stratom says that, with its advanced maneuverability, groundbreaking lift ratios and cross-deck load shift capabilities, ATLAS “simplifies and increases the safety of transporting goods in rugged environments”.

Utilizing Stratom’s Summit software, ATLAS has been designed to autonomously pick up and transport bulky 10,000-pound 463L pallets between aircraft, transport vehicles and warehouses across a wide variety of indoor and off-road terrain.

Significantly lighter and more compact than traditional forklifts, ATLAS’ efficient design can transfer oversized cargo rapidly and operate within confined locations.

While transferring pallets across docks is cumbersome with a conventional forklift, ATLAS leverages Stratom’s proprietary powered rollers to streamline cargo transfer from the forks to racks, vehicles and aircraft.