Mobile robots: the fundamentals
Carriers and how they dock
Carrier
Docking
What matters
Rack
Jack from underneath
Rack bottom 280 to 300 mm above the floor; no crossbars between 130 and 210 mm; space underneath checked against the rotation diameter
Rack with crossbars underneath
JS-U1200-DLF underride fork
Fork arms enter the space underneath; 400 mm lift for stacking
Trolley
Jack or tow
Castor mounting height, docking plate size
Three-runner pallet (incl. nine-block)
Autonomous forklift
Fork opening clearance, load centre
Perimeter-base pallet
JS-F2000-SPT or a counterbalance forklift
Standard pallet movers cannot enter: the bottom is closed all round
Cage / cage trolley
JS-U0800-SLF cage trolley robot; forklifts also recognise steel cages
Trolley size; the JS-U0800-SLF picks up and sets down directly in 1,800 mm aisles
Tote
JS-U0300-DLW tote robot
Only rigid totes that are not black and not reflective
Reel
Mandrel or cradle
Diameter range, docking height
Raise these early: loads overhanging the pallet (they affect laser obstacle detection), markedly offset centres of gravity (stability), and black or stainless steel carriers (black reflects little light and stainless steel reflects like a mirror, so an extra algorithm tuning step is needed, with its time and cost listed separately in the proposal).