System for autonomous and semi-autonomous material handling in an outdoor yard

A method of load movement using a system for material handling in an area, the system for material handling in an area comprising a vehicle traversal path;

• an autonomous vehicle, comprising a controllably automatable forklift operable over a predetermined variable set of load configurations, a vehicle mover, an autonomous navigator operably in communication with the vehicle mover and operative to automatically navigate the autonomous vehicle along the vehicle traversal path within a predetermined set of environmental conditions, an obstacle avoidance system operatively in communication with the autonomous navigator where the obstacle avoidance system is configured to detect an obstacle present along the vehicle traversal path, and a rechargeable power system operatively in communication with the automatable forklift, the vehicle mover, the autonomous navigator, and the obstacle avoidance system where the rechargeable power system comprises a rechargeable power store, a power recharge interface operatively in communication with the rechargeable power store, a GPS base station operatively in communication with the automatable forklift, and a supervisor/orchestrator located proximate to or within vehicle traversal path and operatively in communication with the automatable forklift, the GPS Base station, and an external device where the supervisor/orchestrator is operative to coordinate movement of the autonomous vehicle along the vehicle traversal path and assign a task for the autonomous vehicle to accomplish, the method comprising:
• a. deploying the system for material handling in an area;
• b. identifying a load position in the area of a load to be retrieved by the autonomous vehicle;
• c. using the GPS base station to command the autonomous vehicle to travel along the traversal path from its then current position to the load position;
• d. using the autonomous navigator to scan the traversal path when the autonomous vehicle is traveling along the traversal path and to detect an obstacle along the traversal path;
• e. if an obstacle is detected by the autonomous navigator, using the obstacle avoidance system to command the autonomous vehicle to take an obstacle avoidance action;
• f. once the autonomous vehicle reaches the load location, issuing a command to command the autonomous vehicle to engage the load with the forklift.