An AI-powered autonomous pallet truck that moves 2 tonnes and takes the elevator
August 18, 2026 · 9 min read
Announced on August 18, 2026 by the manufacturer, the robot is a fully autonomous pallet truck capable of carrying 2,000 kg, navigating with no floor infrastructure at all, and moving between floors via elevators. Here is its complete spec sheet, its use cases and its availability in France through Easy to Carry.
Autonomous pallet truck: what has the manufacturer just announced?
On August 18, 2026, the manufacturer officially announced the global launch of the autonomous pallet truck, described as an "AI-native pallet-handling robot" (source: the manufacturer, press release of August 18, 2026). In plain terms: an autonomous pallet truck, an AMR (autonomous mobile robot), designed from the ground up around artificial intelligence, rather than a conventional electric pallet truck fitted with add-on sensors.
The promise is easy to summarise. The autonomous pallet truck moves pallets weighing up to 2,000 kg, locates itself using a fusion of 3D LiDAR and depth cameras, inserts its forks into a pallet in around twenty seconds, and can move between floors of a building by communicating with the elevators. All of this with no wire guidance, no floor QR codes and no fit-out work.
The product targets warehouses, logistics platforms and production sites, with three priority flows: line-side supply in factories, pallet handling in warehouses, and transfers in distribution centres (source: manufacturer product documentation). The trade press covered the announcement on the day it broke, highlighting the 2-tonne payload and the ability to operate with no external network (source: robotics trade press, August 2026).
Spec sheet of the robot: the complete table of specs
Here are all the specifications published to date by the manufacturer (source: manufacturer product documentation, supplemented by the robotics trade press, August 2026).
| Specification | Autonomous pallet truck |
|---|---|
| Maximum load | 2,000 kg |
| Max lift height | 200 ± 5 mm |
| Lowered fork height | 80 ± 5 mm |
| Overall dimensions (L × W × H) | 1,585 × 910 × 1,870 mm |
| Fork width | 620 mm (standard) / 550 mm (narrow version) |
| Speed | 1.6 m/s unloaded; 1.2 m/s loaded |
| Permissible gradient | 3° at full load / 8° unloaded |
| Threshold clearance | 10 mm thresholds; 35 mm gaps |
| Navigation | 3D LiDAR-SLAM + VSLAM (multi-sensor fusion), infrastructure-free |
| Sensors | 3D LiDAR + depth cameras, 360° perception |
| Battery runtime | 12 h unloaded / 6 h at full load |
| Charging time | ~2 h (200-240 V AC); ~3.2 h (100-120 V AC) |
| Pallet pick-up | fork insertion in ~20 s; 90° pick-up in 2 m aisles; minimum 15 cm spacing between pallets |
| Alignment tolerance | corrects up to 15 cm of offset and 15° of angle |
| Driving modes | dual autonomous/manual mode |
| Fleet management | its supervision platform, APIs, voice commands, call buttons |
| Inter-floor | optional IoT integration with elevators and automatic doors |
A benchmark to help read this table: 1.2 m/s loaded is roughly the pace of a brisk pedestrian, so the robot blends naturally into mixed human/robot traffic. And with 12 hours of runtime unloaded (6 hours at full load) against roughly 2 hours of charging, the runtime you actually get will mostly depend on how intense your flows are and how charging is scheduled.
Note: some data points remain unpublished at this stage (robot weight, battery capacity, IP rating, temperature range, safety certifications). We will update this sheet as soon as they are published.
An onboard AI that truly sees pallets
The "AI-native" label is not just a marketing line: it describes how the robot perceives its environment. Where many AGVs follow fixed guidance, the manufacturer's robot recognises load carriers itself — single- or double-face pallets, and even non-standard loads (source: the manufacturer).
In practice, the onboard AI performs four key functions.
- Pallet recognition, even when pallets are poorly aligned: the robot corrects up to 15 cm of offset and 15° of angle with no human intervention;
- Slot-occupancy detection for storage locations before setting a pallet down;
- Clearance assessment in tight spaces, allowing a 90° pallet pick-up in 2 m aisles;
- Real-time correction of the pallet's position, with no manual confirmation needed.
On safety, the robot detects people, equipment and obstacles in real time; it combines dynamic avoidance, smart stopping and route recalculation around static obstacles (source: the manufacturer). Multi-robot coordination works even without an external network connection, thanks to onboard edge intelligence — a differentiating point for sites where Wi-Fi coverage is unreliable (source: robotics trade press, August 2026).
Who is behind the robot?
The robot is designed by an international service-robotics manufacturer that has been established in this market for around a decade and operates across several continents. We are not disclosing its name until the distribution agreement is made public: that's a clause in our contract, not a stylistic choice.
What we can say, and what matters more to you: the Easy To group already operates this manufacturer's machines in France, under the easytoclean brand, on industrial and commercial sites. So we know its after-sales service, its parts lead times and how it behaves in real operating conditions, even before distributing the first pallet truck.
The autonomous pallet truck is not a first attempt: it extends a range of industrial robots already in service, whose earlier models comply with the EN ISO 3691-4 standard and the VDA 5050 interoperability protocol.
What sets the robot apart from other autonomous pallet trucks
The autonomous pallet truck market already has serious players. Three characteristics, taken together, set the newcomer apart.
2 tonnes of capacity, at the top end of the AMR segment
At 2,000 kg, the robot outdoes most of the market's pure-play pallet AMRs: the MiR1200 Pallet Jack caps out at 1,200 kg, as does the OTTO Lifter; the French robots E-Cobot TPL1000 and Sherpa-F carry 1,000 kg and 1,200 kg respectively. It therefore covers heavily loaded Europe pallets, common in food and beverage and in industry.
Inter-floor navigation via elevators
This is the most original claim in the announcement: through an optional IoT integration with elevators and automatic doors, the autonomous pallet truck transports pallets between floors entirely on its own (source: robotics trade press, August 2026). Multi-storey logistics buildings, urban factories, multi-level workshops: all of these become automatable with no dedicated goods lift and no accompanying operator.
Zero infrastructure, software-only deployment
Like the best AMRs of its generation, the robot locates itself using SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping): no rails, no wire guidance, no reflectors to install. Fleet management runs through its fleet supervision platform, with APIs, voice commands and call buttons — the same software ecosystem used by the brand's cleaning and delivery ranges.
Typical use cases in warehouses and factories
Based on the flows highlighted by the manufacturer, here is where the robot makes the most sense.
- Line-side supply: continuously feeding production stations with palletised components and removing finished products, without tying up a forklift operator;
- Intra-warehouse shuttle runs: repetitive transfers between the receiving area, bulk storage and the shipping area — the long, low-value-added "A to B" trips;
- Distribution centre transfers: moving pallets to the docks or picking areas;
- Multi-floor flows: linking production and storage between levels of the same building via elevators, a use case very few robots address today.
The dual autonomous/manual mode adds flexibility: for a one-off flow, an operator can take back control just as with a conventional electric pallet truck.
Autonomous pallet truck vs. the MiR1200 and conventional automated carriers
How does the autonomous pallet truck compare with its closest counterpart, the MiR1200 Pallet Jack, and with the automated pallet trucks from major forklift manufacturers?
| Criterion | Autonomous pallet truck | MiR1200 Pallet Jack | Forklift-brand carriers (Fenwick T-MATIC, Jungheinrich ERE 225a) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 2,000 kg | 1,200 kg | 2,500 to 3,000 kg |
| Top speed | 1.6 m/s | 1.5 m/s | ~2 m/s (7.2 km/h for the ERE 225a) |
| Navigation | 3D LiDAR + VSLAM, infrastructure-free | 3D LiDAR + 5 3D cameras, AI trained on 1.2M images | Optical geo-navigation (T-MATIC) or reflector-based laser (ERE 225a) |
| Inter-floor / elevators | Yes (optional IoT integration) | Not highlighted | Not highlighted |
| Indicative price | Not disclosed (quote-based) | ~$65,000 excluding integration (source: Robotomated) | Project-based quote |
| Launch | August 18, 2026 | March 2024 | Established ranges |
Three takeaways from this table. Against the MiR1200, the robot offers 800 kg of extra capacity and claims inter-floor navigation, which the Danish robot does not highlight. Against carriers from the major forklift manufacturers, often higher-capacity but in some cases dependent on wall-mounted reflectors, it plays the software-flexibility and unified-ecosystem card. Finally, track record favours established players: launched just today, the robot has not yet been the subject of any independent testing.
To put the investment in perspective, autonomous pallet trucks on the market generally range from €30,000 to €150,000 depending on capacity, sensors and fleet software; occupational-risk-prevention grants (Carsat subsidies, FIPU) can cover up to 70% of certain equipment, subject to conditions.
Price and availability in France through Easy to Carry
The price of the robot is not public at this stage: the manufacturer sells its robots through a distributor network, and each project depends on the number of robots, the site mapping and the level of integration required.
In France, Easy to Carry distributes the autonomous pallet truck and supports you from the flow study through to commissioning: qualifying your pallet routes, mapping the site, configuring its supervision platform and training your teams. We provide a tailored quote on request, whether for purchase or a rental arrangement depending on the project.
FAQ
What is an autonomous pallet truck?
An autonomous pallet truck is a mobile robot (AMR) that moves pallets with no operator. It locates itself using sensors, LiDAR, cameras and SLAM mapping, detects obstacles, and handles pallet pick-up and set-down on its own. The robot is a recent example: a 2,000 kg payload, with infrastructure-free navigation.
How much does the autonomous pallet truck cost?
The manufacturer has not published any pricing for the robot, launched on August 18, 2026. As a benchmark, autonomous pallet trucks on the market range between €30,000 and €150,000 depending on capacity and software. For a precise quote tailored to your site and flows, ask Easy to Carry for a quotation.
Can a robot like this one operate around pedestrians?
Yes, that is the whole principle of an AMR: the EN ISO 3691-4 standard governs how driverless trucks operate around people. The autonomous pallet truck features 360° perception, person and obstacle detection, dynamic avoidance and smart stopping. A site risk assessment nonetheless remains essential before commissioning.
Do you need a CACES certificate to use an autonomous pallet truck?
CACES R489 covers ride-on handling trucks; it does not cover autonomous robots. For an AMR, the reference is the EN ISO 3691-4 standard, complemented by authorisation and training provided by the employer (use, supervision, manual mode). We recommend validating your setup with your Carsat or with support from INRS.
Can the robot really take the elevator?
Yes. Through an optional IoT integration with elevators and automatic doors, the autonomous pallet truck carries out pallet transport between floors with no human assistance (source: robotics trade press, August 2026). This is one of its major differentiators compared with other autonomous pallet trucks, most of which remain confined to a single level.
Related reading
- Autonomous pallet truck: the complete 2026 guide — how it works, technologies and selection criteria for a pallet AMR.
- Autonomous pallet truck price in 2026: market ranges, hidden costs and financing models.
- AGV vs AMR: what are the differences, and why the robot's infrastructure-free navigation changes the game.
- Automating a warehouse with no conveyors and no construction work: the fully software-based deployment method.
- Do you need a CACES certificate for an electric or autonomous pallet truck? The complete regulatory rundown.
Interested in the robot? Easy to Carry distributes it in France and will organise on-site demonstrations in the first wave, once distribution opens. Discover the robot in detail, or contact us for a flow study and a tailored quote.
Let's assess your aisles before everyone else does
Distribution opens soon in France. In the meantime, four questions are enough: your regional contact sends back a written verdict on your site, with no price and no date.