Balyo, a French company with installations throughout Europe, is bringing its lift truck automation solution to an increasingly crowded field in North America. The Movebox technology turns lift trucks into automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), which can be used for moving pallets and for tractor applications. The trucks can easily be switched between automatic and manual modes for safety and flexibility in deployment, said CEO Jean-Marie Bergeal.

Balyo's system uses lasers to create a two-dimensional map of the warehouse to control navigation. The map is loaded into each truck, and no special infrastructure is required. Proprietary middleware allows the truck to communicate with a warehouse management system (WMS) essentially off-the-shelf, Bergeal said. The system can also integrate with other technologies within a warehouseâ