How TMJ Interiors added AI pedestrian detection and recording to its forklift fleet.
As TMJ Interiors’ manufacturing operations continued to grow, so did the movement of people, materials and forklifts across its sites. With increased activity came an important question for its Health & Safety team: how could they give forklift operators greater awareness of pedestrians working around their vehicles without creating another distraction inside the cab?
TrafficAngel worked with TMJ to develop a forklift pedestrian detection system built around PlantShield 360 Human Form Recognition (HFR), with configurable detection zones, directional driver alerts and an integrated recording system.
The result was a system tailored not only to TMJ’s safety requirements, but also to the practical realities of fitting technology to a working forklift fleet.
About TMJ Interiors
TMJ Interiors specialises in the manufacture of bespoke furniture and interior solutions for major commercial projects.
Continued growth had brought more skilled employees into the business, expansion across its existing sites and longer manufacturing hours. Materials and supplies also needed to move regularly between different areas, with storage split across two sites and a busy manufacturing hub at the company’s headquarters.
For TMJ’s Health & Safety team, this increasing level of activity meant continuing to assess how employees and visitors could be protected when working around moving vehicles.
Forklift and pedestrian interaction was one area where the team wanted an additional layer of awareness.
The challenge: improving awareness around moving forklifts
Forklifts operate in environments where pedestrian movement, stored materials, vehicle manoeuvring, and restricted visibility can exist within the same working area.
TMJ wanted a system that could identify pedestrians around its forklifts and give the operator a clear warning when someone entered a defined proximity zone.
The requirements were specific.
The system needed to:
- detect a person approaching within approximately five metres of the forklift
- provide a more urgent warning when a pedestrian entered a one-metre high-risk zone
- show the operator where the pedestrian was in relation to the vehicle
- provide recorded footage that could be reviewed when required
- work reliably on vehicles operating both indoors and outdoors
- integrate with the forklifts without unnecessarily obstructing or distracting the operator
TrafficAngel assessed the requirements and specified PlantShield 360, our AI Human Form Recognition system, combined with a vehicle recording system.
The solution: AI Human Form Recognition around the forklift
Four AI cameras were positioned around each forklift to monitor the areas surrounding the vehicle.
Rather than operating as a general proximity sensor, PlantShield 360 uses Human Form Recognition technology to identify pedestrians within configured detection areas and alert the operator when somebody enters them.
For TMJ, two detection zones were configured around the forklifts.
Amber detection zone
The outer detection area extended approximately five metres from the vehicle.
When a pedestrian entered this area, the operator received an amber visual warning, providing an early indication that somebody was approaching or working close to the forklift.
Red high-risk zone
A second red zone was configured within one metre of the vehicle.
If a pedestrian entered this area, the system provided the operator with a stronger visual and audible warning.
The in-cab display also helped the operator understand where the person had been detected around the vehicle, rather than simply alerting them that somebody was nearby.
Detection distances can be configured around the requirements of the vehicle and working environment, allowing the system to be adapted rather than applying the same setup to every site.
Get a Quote for PlantShield360Adding video recording
Pedestrian detection addressed one part of TMJ’s requirement. The team also wanted recorded footage available alongside the HFR system.
TrafficAngel therefore integrated a DVR recording system with PlantShield 360.The system records footage from the cameras onto an onboard hard drive, providing up to approximately 125 hours of recorded footage.
This gives TMJ footage that can be reviewed when required, providing additional context around incidents, near misses or working practices.
For a Health & Safety team, this can also support wider incident review, training and continuous improvement activity.
A bespoke installation for different forklift layouts
One of the most important parts of this project happened before any system was switched on.
The forklifts within TMJ’s fleet did not all provide the same mounting space or cab layout, so TrafficAngel’s engineers had to approach each installation individually.
Limited space inside some cabs made it impractical to install the DVR in the same position on every vehicle. On two forklifts, the recording equipment was therefore fitted externally inside a weatherproof enclosure. On others, it could be securely mounted behind the operator’s seat while remaining accessible when required.
Camera positioning presented another challenge.
The cameras needed to provide effective coverage without interfering with normal forklift operation. They were positioned around the roof perimeter using secure brackets and existing fixing locations where appropriate.
Cabling was then routed into the cab using sealed, weatherproof entry points, helping maintain protection for forklifts that operate both indoors and outside.
It is a small detail, but an important one: a safety system has to work with the vehicle it is fitted to.
Rather than forcing every forklift into an identical installation, the TrafficAngel engineers adapted the physical installation while maintaining the required detection coverage and functionality.
Supporting the operator, rather than distracting them
Any additional safety technology also had to fit naturally into the way the forklifts were already being used. The cameras and in-cab components were therefore positioned to keep the installation discreet and avoid creating unnecessary distraction for the operator.
PlantShield 360 is not intended to replace operator training, traffic-management procedures or pedestrian segregation. Its role is to give the driver an extra warning when a person enters a configured detection zone around the vehicle.
This gave TMJ another way of supporting forklift safety without making the system intrusive or changing how operators carry out their day-to-day work.
The outcome
TMJ was pleased with both the completed installation and the way the equipment integrated with its forklift fleet. PlantShield 360 now provides pedestrian detection across configured areas around the vehicles, while the integrated recording system provides footage that can be reviewed when required.
Just as importantly, the project demonstrated that an AI forklift safety system does not need to be a standard, one-size-fits-all installation.
By understanding TMJ’s operational requirements first, TrafficAngel was able to configure the detection zones, camera positions, recording equipment and physical installation around the vehicles and environments in which they actually work.
