COLUMBUS, Ind. — (April 10, 2019) — Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA) has selected four research proposals to receive funding through the TMHNA University Research Program. The sponsored research program was created to drive the next generation of technology for the supply chain, logistics and material handling industries. The program encourages professors and researchers to apply their knowledge of engineering and technical fields, drawing synergies and collaboration between collegiate research and Toyota Material Handling North America.

After reviewing innovative research ideas from more than a dozen leading universities, TMHNA has selected four proposals to receive financial support of up to $1 million.

Real-Time Rural Medicine Handling and Transport Using a Coordinated Fleet of Trucks and Drones

Proposal Author: Daniel F. Silva, Auburn University

Warehouse Automation in a Day

Proposal Author: Hadas Kress-Gazit, Cornell University

Intelligent Material Handling (iMH) Systems for Warehouse Applications - Phase II

Proposal Author: Michael Kuhl, Rochester Institute of Technology

Using Industry 4.0 Digital Twins to Model Human Labor in Smart Material Handling Systems

Proposal Author: Jesus A. Jiménez, Texas State University

“This program stemmed from TMHNA’s commitment to continuously provide the industry with solutions that are smarter, more efficient and more effective,” said Brett Wood, president and chief executive officer for Toyota Material Handling North America. “We’re thrilled to see such impressive thinking from researchers and institutions around new technology and innovative approaches to the material handling industry, and we’re eager to see how their work will impact the warehouse of the future.”

Recipients will attend ProMat 2019, held April 8-11 at Chicago’s McCormick Place, and will be available to discuss their proposals at Toyota’s booth, 603, on Wednesday, April 10, from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m.

About Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA)

Toyota Material Handling North America (TMHNA), the industry leader in forklift sales, is composed of three main group companies: Toyota Material Handling U.S.A., Inc.; Toyota Industrial Equipment Mfg., Inc.; and The Raymond Corporation. One in three forklifts sold in North America is either a Toyota or Raymond product. With more than 2 million square feet of manufacturing space, TMHNA is composed of four manufacturing plant locations: Columbus, Indiana; Greene, New York; Muscatine, Iowa; and Oakville, Ontario, Canada, that produce racking products and more than 1,500 forklifts per week. With an annual revenue of over $3 billion, TMHNA has more than 10,000 people, 3 million service parts available and more than 300 dealer locations to support Toyota and Raymond customers throughout North America.

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