Yale Recognized for Operator Assist Technology

Yale Lift Truck Technologies announces Yale Reliant^™, a first-of-its-kind operator assist technology, has earned an honorable mention in the Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards. The solution, which automatically intervenes to help lift truck operators avoid potential hazards, was recognized in the enterprise category as an innovative approach to B2B products and services.

Yale Reliant keeps the operator in ultimate control of the lift truck, but automatically applies interventions in response to compromised stability, when obstacles are detected in the path of travel or in close proximity, and even based on rules customers specify for certain areas of their warehouse. Adjustments, such as a reduction to travel speed or a smoothing of fork lift or tilt movement, are carefully measured to avoid abrupt shifts or jerks that can upset stability. The changes remain noticeable enough for operators to feel, and the system also communicates the cause through a display screen, providing an additional layer of feedback to help reinforce proper operation established during training.

Other companies recognized in this year’s Innovation by Design program include Microsoft, IBM, Mailchimp, Canva, The North Face, Estée Lauder, Capital One, Yeti, Squarespace and more.

Yale Reliant is currently available on 18 models and is already commercially deployed on more than 7,800 lift truck units. The technology, which has previously been recognized with a Silver Edison Award, was developed to help support a customer’s warehouse lift truck safety initiative and is the result of an investment of more than 40,000 hours of research and development.

For more information, visit https://www.yale.com.