Texas chips its forklifts
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• Texas Homecare, the DIY superstore group, is to fit computers to all 20 of its Yale forklift trucks in its new 28,0000 (300,000ft2) distribution centre at Wellingborough.
The computers will help Texas to organise its forklift truck movements as efficiently as possible, by telling the drivers which tasks to do, and specifying which routes the drivers should take to complete the tasks.
All instructions are displayed to the driver on a small screen. Should any problems arise, he may communicate back to a central controlling computer via a keyboard.
The central computer, a DEC VAX 11/750, controls the instructions for all the 20 forklift trucks and also controls Texas Homecare's distribution, warehouse management and financial systems.
All communications between the central computer and the 20 forklift trucks are made by radio signal.