Awards programs for material handing equipment are not beauty contests; the most important criteria, of course, are innovation and practical application. But many of the 11 finalists for the 2017 International Forklift Truck of the Year (IFOY) awards are nearly works of art, with sleek lines, colorful finishes, and eye-catching designs.

The awards, to be presented by Europe's VDMA Materials Handling and Logistics Systems Sector Association in May, assess products' innovative quality, technology, design, ergonomics, handling, safety, cost effectiveness, and sustainability. Finalists are required to undergo rigorous weeklong competitive testing sessions as well as further evaluation by specialists at two logistics engineering institutes in Germany. The winner in each category will be chosen by an international jury of logistics and material handling journalists.

Here's a quick look at the finalists:

• Warehouse truck category—the IGo neo CX 20 "intelligent" autonomous pallet truck from Still; the EMD 115i compact walkie stacker from Jungheinrich; and the EPH 125 DTFV guided high-lift order picker
  
• Automated guided vehicle (AGV) category—the TORsten low-profile, customizable AGV from Torwegge; and SSI Schaefer's 2Stack + automated driverless delivery (ADD) automated replenishment system
  
• Special vehicle category—an electric-powered cargo transport scooter from kickTrike; the Wave work-assist vehicle from Crown; and a tugger "train" with automated loading and unloading capabilities from Still (shown in photo)
  
• Special of the year category—Still's Power Plus Life self-cooling battery; the "Indoor Positioning" vehicle location system from Jungheinrich; and UniCarriers' ergonomic dead-man alternative driver-presence sensor

See a slideshow of these futuristic machines and learn what makes them innovative.