Hesai lidar and SLAM power Visimind's IDL device to map forklift routes in 12 factory units
A manufacturer that once had a person follow forklifts with pen and paper now records their routes digitally, using a Visimind IDL device built around Hesai's XT32 lidar and SLAM.
- 12
- 4
What Happened
In production plants, forklifts connect material storage, production lines and other parts of the manufacturing process, and understanding how those vehicles actually move can reveal material flows, traffic patterns and how available space is used. For one industrial manufacturer, that movement was documented manually: a person physically followed forklifts through the site and recorded their routes using paper and pen. The process took considerable manual effort, depended on individual observation and placed personnel close to moving industrial vehicles while measurements were collected. The manufacturer worked with Visimind, a Hesai distribution partner with experience in geospatial and positioning solutions, to develop a digital method for capturing forklift movements.
- Less manual observation: personnel no longer need to physically follow forklifts and record routes by hand.
- Reduced exposure to vehicle traffic: data can be collected without an observer continuously walking alongside moving industrial vehicles.
- Repeatable data capture: trajectories are recorded digitally using the same measurement approach rather than depending on individual observations.
- Structured movement data: recorded routes can be processed and visualized for further analysis.
- Multi-site use: the same IDL units can be used across different facilities instead of developing a separate measurement method for every plant.
The resulting solution is IDL, the Industrial Device for Location, which combines lidar with SLAM, or simultaneous localization and mapping, to determine how a forklift moves relative to its surroundings and to digitally record its trajectory. Lidar suits the task because it measures the physical environment around the system, so movement through an indoor facility can be tracked without relying on satellite positioning or on a person documenting each route. The result is not simply a digital map of a facility: IDL creates a record of how forklifts actually move through that space. Visimind provided the hardware and trajectory-capture solution, while the customer used its own analytical software to evaluate the resulting data.
One way to turn trajectory data into a useful operational view is a spaghetti diagram, which overlays movement paths within a defined area; as multiple routes are plotted together, the visualization shows how vehicles, people or materials repeatedly move through the space. In manufacturing and logistics, such diagrams are commonly used to examine movement and material flow. The diagram itself does not determine whether a process should be changed — it gives operations teams a clearer basis for investigating movement patterns, layouts and workflows. The customer's analytical software, site data, resulting diagrams and operational findings were not shared with Visimind, so customer-specific results are not included in the source article.
- Which routes are used most frequently?
- Where do forklift paths repeatedly intersect?
- Are vehicles regularly taking indirect or longer routes?
- Which parts of a facility experience concentrated traffic?
- Are some areas used considerably more or less than others?
- Person follows forklifts with paper and pen vs. lidar plus SLAM trajectory recording
- Individual observation vs. repeatable, structured digital routes that can be visualized
- Observer walks alongside moving vehicles vs. no observer needed alongside the traffic
12
The units were circulated among several production facilities during the project period, so the same measurement approach could be used across multiple sites.
Previously from Hesai Technology
Hesai has previously published a plain-language guide to lidar explaining how laser pulses become 3D point clouds, why lidar still works in darkness, and where the technology goes next. In September 2026 the company unveiled its MT series lidar for high-precision 3D mapping at INTERGEO 2026 in Germany, promising ultra-high spatial resolution and 3.5 mm ranging precision in what it calls the smallest form factor in its class.
- Hesai explains how lidar 3D perception works, from point clouds to full-color sensing
- Hesai launches MT series lidar for high-precision 3D mapping, claiming smallest form factor in its class
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Hesai Technology's official releases.
Why this matters
Forklift movement studies previously put workers close to moving industrial vehicles and relied on individual observation, so a digital, repeatable capture method matters for plant personnel and for operations teams studying material flows. The approach was designed to be reused across multiple sites, which affects how manufacturers compare layouts and traffic across facilities.
Terms in This Story
- SLAM
- Simultaneous localization and mapping: a technique that builds a map of the surrounding environment while determining how the system is moving within it.
- Lidar
- A sensor that measures the physical environment using laser-based distance measurements.
- Spaghetti diagram
- A visualization that overlays movement paths within a defined area to show how vehicles, people or materials repeatedly move through a space.
- GNSS
- Satellite-based positioning; indoor environments often have limited or no access to it.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.