Collision avoidance and navigation support with 2D LiDAR scanner technology

From electric liing trucks and order pickers to tugs and mobile transport plaorms, warehouses are benefing from SICK Automaon's2D LiDAR sensors. These sensors from the TiM series ensure collision-free manoeuvring and precise measurement data fornavigaon.

To enable transport and picking vehicles to operate autonomously they must be protected against collisions and equipped with the opon for self-navigaon. SICK's TiM 2D LiDAR sensors sasfy requirements for integraon capacity, course-plong and roung, obstacle detecon, and cater to safety-related applicaons.

The 2D LiDAR sensors in the TiM series are designed for quick and simple plug-and-play integraon,with a design that takes shock and vibraon resistance and ambient light immunity into account. All 2D LiDAR products feature innovave HDDM technology which enables both mobile and staonary obstacles to be reliably detected. Detecon is reliable regardless of material, surface structures, colour or lighng. Eye-safe infrared light and High Definion Distance Measurement (HDDM) technology were designed, developed and patented by SICK.

SICK Automaon's TiM range offers applicaon-orientated soluons that meet key device-related requirements. The Tim1xx weighs just 90 grams and requires only 2.2W of power. This compact, energy efficient model delivers long, interrupon-free operaon. The TiM361S is safety-cerfied in accordance with EN ISO 13849-1:2015 and is the perfect combinaon of measurement performance and funconal safety. Operang in the safety range from 0.05cm to 4m, it has up to 48 independent monitoring fields and as many monitoring scenarios and protecve field geometries can be set up as needed.The compact TiM5xx has a height of only 86 millimetres making it ideal for object detecon, posion detecon and navigaon in confined installaon spaces with a working range up to 25m. These are just a few examples from SICK's wide range of 2D LiDAR scanner opons.

The world of autonomous-mobile intralogiscs requires intelligent sensors that are able to deliver real-me navigaonal and environmental informaon to self-driving vehicles, plaorms and robots.SICK's 2D LiDAR Sensors in the TiM range deliver precision, reliability and speed to effecvely support navigaon and posion determinaon data and consistently avoid collisions.

IF “GREED” WAS THE BUZZWORD 20 YEARS AGO, one could argue that today it is “choice.” In choice, there is power

When our founder, Jerry Dyess, had the vision for Choose Energy, his goal was to demysfy the ulies business for the average consumer. Quite simply, energy is a commodity and a need. And, the more choices, the beer it is for everyone involved. Tradional retail companies have long thrived by providing consumers with opons. The proliferaon of online marketplaces has given consumers the ability to make smart choices and save money on everything from car insurance to healthcare. However, unl recently, consumers didn't have a choice when it came to energy – one of the few things that they literally can't live without. In states where energy deregulaon is becoming more and more prevalent as it has in other countries, many of the consumers in these states either do not know that they have opons, and if they are aware, they likely do not know what or how to choose. That is where the power of the energy marketplace comes in.

At Choose Energy, we not only provide the online plaorm to purchase the commodity of energy, but we act as a connector and facilitator, allowing customers to compare and shop for their electric, natural gas and other energy providers. Energy marketplaces provide consumers the ability to see all of the energy supplier's offers in one convenient place so they can compare one offer with another, side by side. Oen these same consumers receive offers from energy companies that sound like a good deal but there is no way for them to compare the costs or the benefits with alternave opons. We help them find the right place and the right planwhether they are looking for a fixed plan, a shorerm opon, cost savings or a greener choice. Finally, the consumer doesn't have to blindly pay their energy bill and feel like they have no choice when it comes to the provider who keeps their lights and their heat on.

We also help the energy suppliers communicate their services through a trustworthy plaorm so they can aract and retain the right consumers. Suppliers now are compeng for the customer's business, which puts the consumer in the driver's seat. Energy marketplaces benefit the consumer and the provider, by offering services such as comparison, transparency, ease of enrollment and strong customer service while guiding consumers through the decision-making process of comparing and/or switching suppliers. Imagine 20 years ago – even 10 –being able to go online and shop for energy needs. We are currently in eight deregulated electricity states and just announced in January that we have expanded into six deregulated natural gas states, with plans to launch our services in three more states this month.

Educaon is a key factor in the expansion of energy choices and the deregulaon process. In deregulated energy states in the United States (in which more than half the U.S. populaon lives), once consumers were given a choice in energy providers, they may have found themselves overwhelmed with monthly mail inserts, door hangers, or mullevel markeng agents ringing doorbells and phones. These channels were the only opon the energy companies had – but now retail energy suppliers are reviewing their markeng budget allocaons and realizing that the changes in regulaon have brought new opons and new markeng channels, which benefit them.

This complexity behind the energy sales and markeng processes create confusion for the consumer, and is the reason that educaon is paramount. In addion, educaon varies by market. For example, Texas, Pennsylvania, Conneccut and Illinois have reached greater than 50 percent deregulated electricity market adopon over the past few years. There is currently more educaon in these deregulated states on electricity opons, so we are building on that awareness to inform consumers that natural gas choices are also available. One of the great things about Choose Energy is that people can switch electricity and natural gas in one place, at one me (in states where available).

With this winter's energy bills substanally higher due to the much-reported “Polar

Vortex” and other weather extremes across the country – consumers are paying more aenon to their energy bills.

Many states are also experiencing rate hike announcements, so we expect more and more consumers to take control of their energy opons. Choose Energy is growing over 100 percent a year in all of our markets. While cost is important, energy choices aren't limited to price. Some consumers have made the decision to change providers because they want a renewable plan as part of the “green movement.” Unl fairly recently, renewable choices were challenging for consumers to access. Today, up to 20 percent of Choose Energy's customers have chosen offerings that come from renewable sources. While not always the least expensive, it is perfect for those who are commied to making environmentally conscious shopping decisions.

Others are searching for the best price or a way to manage their budgets, removing the risk of energy price increases. The typical consumer in a deregulated market can save as much as much 25 percent on their yearly energy bill.

This is truly a game changer for the ulies business. Deregulaon has provided people with the ability to choose energy providers. With the plaorm to pair the consumer with the provider based on their individual needs down to the details of region, climate, psychographics, demographics, economics and priories – energy marketplaces have the power to personalize that choice.