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How It Works

The J1600's basic workflow is map by driving, save destinations, pick manually, and deliver autonomously. This page walks through first-time setup, the delivery workflow, the available task patterns, and the constraints that apply in autonomous mode.

First-time setup​

  1. Power on the J1600 and follow the on-screen tutorial.
  2. Use the tiller to drive manually through the facility. The robot continuously learns and updates its understanding of the environment.
  3. Drive to each desired autonomous floor-drop point.
  4. Tap Save location, name the point, and repeat for all required destinations.

There is no software limit to the number of saved locations; practical limits come from available floor space. The robot maps with 3D LiDAR SLAM — no fixed tracks, wires, reflectors, or building modifications are needed.

Training for an existing electric pallet-jack operator takes about 30 minutes, and typical setup takes hours to one day depending on scope.

Performing a delivery​

  1. Manually pick up a supported pallet or load carrier (see Pallet and load compatibility).
  2. Open task creation on the touchscreen.
  3. Choose the task type and saved drop destination.
  4. Choose what should happen afterward: return to origin, go to another point or parking, or stop and wait.
  5. Execute the task.
  6. The robot asks to enter automatic mode; confirm with the physical start/go control.
  7. The interface instructs you to step away.
  8. The J1600 travels autonomously, avoids obstacles, drops the pallet at floor level, and follows the selected post-delivery action.

Task patterns​

The most commonly performed task is manual pickup, autonomous delivery, floor-level drop, and return to origin. The route can be a few meters or more than 100 meters — the concept is the same.

Location model​

Locations are created by driving to a point and tapping Save location. Saved points can be recombined freely: you do not need to demonstrate every possible A-to-B variation. Adding a new drop point takes minutes.

Control and task ownership​

Tasks are always initiated by a person, and pallet pickup is always manual. You can take over immediately at any time by grabbing or moving the tiller or by using the stop and override controls. A three-position key switch selects power-off, manual-only, or automatic mode. White lights indicate manual mode; blue floor lights show the protected area in automatic mode. The handover between modes is described in detail on Dual mode.

Constraints in autonomous mode​

Demonstrated in practice​

At TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS 2026, a first-time user who had used electric pallet jacks — but never the J1600 — drove it manually, saved a location, created a drop-and-return task, confirmed automatic mode, and watched the robot route around people using its 3D environment map. In a separate demonstration, a location named "Pallet Bay 1" was created and the robot instructed to drop and wait. Hands-on demonstrations typically get a first-time visitor to launch an autonomous task within roughly 15 minutes.

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