Not science fiction anymore

Self-driving vehicles, a distant dream? Not at all! We're experimenting with a self-driving (and self-made) pallet truck at Dassenveld distribution centre. And in Londerzeel, Collect&Go tested the nippy Clevon 1 for two months on the public highway to made deliveries. Buckle up, time for an introduction!

Self Driving Vehicle

The Self Driving Vehicle is a selfdriving pallet truck, built entirely by our very own Smart Technics, the group's innovation department. The vehicle reaches speeds of up to 7.2 kph and is able to move a pallet weighing up to 1,500 kg. It uses directional lines for this, reflectors or specific infrastructure: the SDV is given a command by a worker and autonomously navigates through the warehouse on the basis of sensors and cameras. The SDV is programmed to brake immediately in case of obstacles.

Why do we want to use this technology?

“Various reasons”, Kristof De Peyper, Supply Chain department head of Colruyt Lowest Prices at Dassenveld, says. “Due to the labour shortage, job vacancies are not filled as easily. Automation can be a solution and is also cost-efficient. Other retailers are also working on this: in other words, it's important we keep a technological edge. We might even be able sell the SDV at a later stage.”

How did the first tests go?

At the end of last year, we extensively tested a refined version of the SDV at the Dassenveld food distribution centre. The SDV is used chiefly for the transport of pallets from the reception bay to the stock in the warehouse. The long-term goal is to have three SDVs working at the time, but the lack of spare parts threw a spanner in the works in recent months. After the test with several SDVs, we'll decide whether to actually use them. “The workers are showing a healthy level of curiosity”, Kristof says. “Slightly suspicious, but also curious as to the operation.”

What is Smart Technics' role?

“The SDVs available on the market are not ideal for us”, Stefan Roelans, team manager at Smart Technics, says. “We had a number of specific requirements for our distribution centres: people walking around, an uneven floor, very long corridors, etc. And we didn't want to make any changes to our infrastructure. That's why we decided to develop our own SDV: we developed the software and worked with an external party for the components of the SDV where necessary. We first extensively tested the SDV in our demo environment at Elbeek and later in the distribution centre. If the test with several SDVs also goes well, we can start using them in other distribution centres throughout Colruyt Group.”

The Clevon 1 is a technological feat of Estonian company Clevon. The vehicle, which reaches speeds up to 50 km/h, combines an advanced automatic pilot with remote control by an operator. It drives based on vision technology, machine learning and sensors. The vehicle is equipped with six cameras and short- and long-range radars that measure distances and recognise cars, cyclists and pedestrians.

Why do we want to use this technology?

Online shopping is an important pillar for our group and our ambition is to be and remain best of class in this”, Tom De Prater, manager at Collect&Go, says. “E-commerce is evolving rapidly and mobility in city centres is often disastrous. That's why we're constantly looking for ways to organise the 'last mile' - the deliveries to the customeras efficiently and sustainably as possible. An electric vehicle, whereby, in the long term, one operator monitors several vehicles remotely, is definitely an option we want to explore. We're enthusiastic about the potential, but at the same time we're very realistic and will proceed step by step.”

How did the first tests go?

The vehicle, with space for 12 Collect&Go boxes, experienced its baptism of fire on the public highway in Londerzeel in November amidst huge press attention. This was followed by two more months of testing on the public highway, totalling more than 1,000 km. This included several milestones or ambitions, such as direct delivery to an end customer and a stretch of road travelled completely autonomously (i.e. without being controlled by a remote operator). Tom: “The technology is ready and works. We also managed to get all partners around the table for this: the municipal, regional and federal authorities, the local police, insurers, etc. That's another great thing about this pilot project!”

What is Smart Technics' role?

“For this project we work with several partners”, Stefan Roelans says. “Collect&Go, Technics, IT, the E-commerce Food and Supply Chain domains, the health and safety officer, etc. We also conducted a market survey first with Smart Technics: what already exists? We joined forces with Clevon, a spin-off of Cleveron. Their technology already meets the standard and the way they look at autonomous driving is in keeping with our vision: realistic, step by step. We challenge each other technologically, but in this project we are more like project managers. We share knowledge and information within the group and show that autonomous driving is no longer science fiction. The technology is ready for testing on the public highway. In the next few years, the legal framework might prove to be the biggest challenge.”