Dual Mode
Dual mode means one vehicle combines two operating behaviors: manual control like a conventional electric pallet jack, and operator-initiated autonomous driving. It is the J1600's defining concept. This page explains both modes, the handover between them, and the reasoning behind the combination.
The two modes
- Manual mode: a person controls the tiller and lift functions exactly as on a conventional electric pallet jack. Manual operation covers nuanced pickup, handling up to 1.6 m, difficult approaches, sensitive or unstable loads, and exceptions.
- Automatic mode: after the operator selects a saved destination and confirms the mode change, the vehicle drives autonomously, performs a floor-level pallet drop, and follows its configured return, park, wait, or continue behavior.
How the handover works
The operator initiates autonomous work from the task interface and the physical start/resume button. The robot asks for confirmation and instructs the person to step clear before moving. Manual control is regained at any time through the tiller and safety controls: tiller-position switches govern emergency stop and manual control, and a three-position key switch selects power off, manual-only, or automatic mode. Grabbing or moving the tiller enables immediate manual takeover.
Capability ladder
| Level | Capabilities |
|---|---|
| Manual functions | Pallet pick and drop up to 1.6 m; full manual tiller control |
| Basic automation | On-screen task start; saved locations; autonomous travel to saved points; floor-level drop; return-to-me; go-to-parking |
| Advanced automation | Come-to-me; automatic charging; VDA 5050 fleet management; API integrations |
The ladder describes what the vehicle can do; the Standard and Advanced software packages describe how capabilities are licensed. See the integration overview.
Why dual mode exists
Full automation becomes expensive and rigid when the judgment-heavy part of a task — checking loads, placing forks, improvising around congestion — has to be engineered away with WMS and fleet integration, precise load data, and controlled processes. Dual mode leaves those decisions to a person and automates the long travel instead. The intended balance is roughly 80% automation rather than 100%, with greater flexibility and a lower entry cost.
Manual control preserves the ability to unload trucks, handle unstable or sensitive loads, work around congestion, and respond to exceptions; autonomy removes the repeated walking. The result is a product tier between manual electric pallet jacks and conventional AGVs and fully automated systems — see pallet automation fundamentals and human-in-the-loop automation.
Dual mode on the J1600
For the J1600-specific implementation — controls, workflows, and demonstrations — see the product page on dual mode and the example workflows.