Sany Heavy Equipment has introduced the "Safe-Scan" active pedestrian protection system for its FD25 series 2.5-ton internal combustion forklifts. In busy outdoor logistics yards, cargo containers and parked trailers create numerous blind corners. Traditional collision avoidance systems rely on ultrasonic sensors or cameras, which suffer from false triggers (detecting racks or walls) or fail in heavy rain and dust.
The Safe-Scan system utilizes a "4D Imaging Radar" (FMCW millimeter-wave radar) mounted on the rear counterweight and front axle. The engineering breakthrough is "Micro-Doppler Signature Classification." While standard radar detects a moving object, it cannot tell if it is a rolling pallet or a walking human. The Safe-Scan radar analyzes the micro-fluctuations in the reflected radar wave (the micro-Doppler effect). It specifically looks for the rhythmic leg swings and chest breathing patterns of a human pedestrian.
If a human is detected entering the forklift's 5-meter danger zone, the system does not just sound an alarm; it directly interfaces with the transmission control unit. It cuts the solenoid signal to the forward/reverse clutch, effectively dropping the forklift into Neutral, and simultaneously applies the spring-applied parking brake. This lockout occurs in 0.3 seconds-faster than a human operator can move their foot from the accelerator to the brake pedal. The system ignores static metal racks and moving forklifts, ensuring the yard workflow is not interrupted by false stops, reducing human-forklift collision incidents by over 90% in deployment testing.
