Navigation Sensors vs. Safety Sensors
The J1600 carries two distinct sensor systems that are easy to confuse: the navigation stack that drives the vehicle, and the safety stack that protects people. This page explains what each does and why they are separate.
Two stacks at a glance
| Navigation stack | Safety stack | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensors | 3D LiDAR, RGB AI camera | Two 2D safety LiDAR scanners, front and rear |
| Processing | Industrial NVIDIA Jetson AI computer | Independent safety controller |
| Job | Mapping, localization, route planning, obstacle avoidance | Certified person detection and protective fields |
| Certification role | Control/navigation function | Certified safety functions with assigned Performance Levels |
The navigation stack
The 3D LiDAR performs SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping): it builds and continuously updates a three-dimensional map of the facility while an operator drives, then localizes the vehicle and plans routes to saved destinations. It scans environmental structures at heights reaching up to 70 m above the vehicle, works without fixed tracks, wires, reflectors, or building modifications, and routes around obstacles in dynamic environments. An RGB AI camera is part of the same control stack, and preferred travel zones can be defined for safer routing through production areas.
3D mapping is designed for greater precision and reliability than traditional 2D navigation in complex or changing environments — one reason the vehicle suits brownfield sites. For exact sensor geometry, range, accuracy, minimum aisle width, and localization tolerances, contact the company or a partner.
The safety stack
Personnel protection does not depend on the navigation system. Two separate 2D safety LiDAR scanners feed an independent safety controller and certified components. Together they produce a full 360-degree protective field that supports forward and reverse autonomous travel, changes size with speed, and triggers certified reactions:
- Person detection in the safety field — PL d
- Safety-field size adjustment — PL d
- Braking — PL d
- Speed monitoring and control — PL c
Why the separation matters
Obstacle avoidance by the navigation stack is a productivity feature: it keeps the vehicle moving efficiently around whatever is in the way. The 2D safety stack is the certified protection layer: it guarantees the response when a person enters the protective field, independently of what the navigation software decides. Keeping the two systems separate means personnel protection rests on certified components rather than on the AI navigation stack.
For the complete component list, see Safety architecture. For terms such as LiDAR, SLAM, and Performance Level, see the glossary.