LogiMAT: Bosch multi-camera system for forklifts now available as retrofit solution

Fewer accidents and increased safety for existing warehouse fleets

• Assistance system shows vehicle surroundings on the cockpit display: accident situations are mitigated and driver stress levels are reduced
• Fully digital camera technology provides optimum image quality even in low-light conditions
• Retrofit solution available from special distribution partners as of summer 2023
• Coordinated overall system for quick and simple installation

Forklifts are the secret heroes of modern warehousing. They move heavy loads, help to transport goods quickly, and support efficient logistics. However, the use of forklifts in everyday work is associated with a variety of accident risks. Collisions are usually caused by a lack of visibility of the vehicle surroundings (for example, when driving backwards or maneuvering with loaded forks). This is where the Bosch sight assist, which is based on the multi-camera system, provides valuable support. It generates a 360° representation of the current vehicle surroundings and displays it on a monitor in the cockpit. The driver can thus clearly see what is happening in the vehicle’s vicinity at all times. A new version of the multi-camera system is now also available for retrofitting. “With our special retrofit solution, existing vehicles will also be able to benefit from the added safety provided by the multi-camera system in the future. Accident situations are significantly mitigated. Driver stress levels are also drastically reduced, allowing them to work in a more relaxed manner and maintain their full performance for longer,” explains Philipp Kurek, responsible for Off-Highway Solutions at Bosch Engineering GmbH.

Everything from a single source – complete package for quick and simple set-up

The retrofit multi-camera system comprises four compact near-range cameras (including control unit), a universal wiring harness, a 10-inch touch display, and a set of camera mounts. The complete package thus includes everything needed for quick and simple installation, regardless of the vehicle make, model, or year of manufacture. “When developing the system, we placed particular emphasis on delivering high functional quality in all usage conditions. For example, the exclusive use of digital camera technology from the sensor to the monitor ensures high image quality even in adverse light conditions,” says Kurek. The high-resolution display ensures very good image representation and readability even in direct sunlight or rapid changes in brightness. A robust housing made of powder-coated die-cast aluminum also makes the display usable in harsh outdoor environments, for instance.

All functions of the retrofit solution are controlled via a touch interface on the display. For example, the intuitive menu can be used to switch between different camera views, allowing the driver to choose between front/rear camera views and the 360° surround view in full screen or split screen, as well as a panorama view. In panorama mode, the view area of the front or rear camera is expanded to 180°. Thanks to the extended angle of view, this mode ensures much greater safety, for example, when driving backwards in areas with restricted visibility, such as exit gates.

The retrofit solution will be available from summer 2023 through a network of selected, specially trained distribution partners. Among other things, Bosch assists its partners in calibrating the system to the respective application to ensure an optimum all-around view of the vehicle, even when sensor positioning is particularly challenging. The new retrofit system from Bosch is the ideal solution for updating existing industrial trucks of all types as well as construction machinery and agricultural vehicles to the latest sensor technology. When it comes to added safety in the automation of machinery, cost-efficient and high-performance surround sensing systems are becoming increasingly important for use in safety-relevant functions. For the off-highway sector, the first safety variant of the Bosch off-highway ultrasonic sensor system with performance level C in accordance with ISO 13849 will be available on the market from 2024.
Further information is available to interested LogiMAT visitors at booth 6D31 in hall 6.

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Basic information

Mobility Solutions is the largest Bosch Group business sector. According to preliminary figures, it generated sales of 52.6 billion euros in 2022, and thus contributed almost 60 percent of total sales from operations. This makes the Bosch Group one of the leading automotive suppliers. The Bosch Mobility Solutions business sector pursues a vision of mobility that is safe, sustainable, and exciting, and combines the group’s expertise in the domains of personalization, automation, electrification, and connectivity. For its customers, the outcome is integrated mobility solutions. The business sector’s main areas of activity are injection technology and powertrain peripherals for internal-combustion engines, diverse solutions for powertrain electrification, vehicle safety systems, driver-assistance and automated functions, technology for user-friendly infotainment as well as vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication, repair-shop concepts, and technology and services for the automotive aftermarket. Bosch is synonymous with important automotive innovations, such as electronic engine management, the ESP anti-skid system, and common-rail diesel technology.

About Bosch Engineering GmbH
Bosch Engineering GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH and is head-quartered in Abstatt, Germany. As a systems development partner to the automotive industry since 1999, the company with its more than 3,300 associates offers development services for powertrains, safety and convenience systems, and electrical and electronic systems – from the original concept to series production. Specialized in electronics and software, it draws on Bosch’s proven large-scale series production technology to develop tailored solutions for a wide variety of applications in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, off-highway and recreational vehicles, and in rail applications, ships, and industry. Bosch Engineering GmbH also coordinates all the Bosch Group’s motorsports activities.
Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch-engineering.com.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 420,000 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2022). According to preliminary figures, the company generated sales of 88.4 billion euros in 2022. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 128 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 85,000 associates in research and development, of which nearly 44,000 are software engineers.