Thesis Pallet Restacker for Automated Factory Acceptance Testing of the Atlas 1D

Problem
While semi-automated operation is an intentional characteristic of the Atlas 1D in its deployed context, this same characteristic creates a significant bottleneck in the product's Factory Acceptance Test (FAT) process. FAT protocols require the shuttle to be exercised through a defined sequence of load handling cycles — picking up and depositing pallets on the rails — to verify mechanical, electrical, and software functionality before shipment. Currently, each of these pick-and-deposit operations requires a human operator to intervene manually, placing or removing pallets at the appropriate moments in the test sequence. As a result, the FAT process cannot be executed in an unattended, automated fashion: operator presence is mandatory, test cycles cannot run continuously, and the human element introduces timing variability that reduces the repeatability and auditability of test results.

The core gap is therefore not in the shuttle's operational design, but in the absence of a dedicated peripheral tool that can replicate the operator's role within the test environment. Developing such a tool — one that autonomously handles pallet placement and retrieval in coordination with the shuttle's test cycle — would decouple FAT execution from operator availability, enable continuous and repeatable testing, and lay the groundwork for a standardized, scalable acceptance test infrastructure.

Main issues

- Replicating Operator Behavior in a Constrained Test Environment
The operator's role in the current FAT process involves spatial judgment, timing, and physical dexterity that a fixed-function mechanical tool must replicate with equivalent reliability. The restacker must execute pallet placement and retrieval at the correct moments in the test sequence, in the correct location, and without damaging the shuttle or the rail — all without situational awareness or ad hoc correction that a human would naturally provide.

- Synchronization with the Shuttle's Test Cycle
For the FAT to run unattended, the restacker must coordinate its operations with the shuttle's state machine — acting only when the shuttle has completed a cycle and is clear of the target zone, and signalling readiness before the next shuttle command is issued. Defining and implementing this synchronization interface, without modifying the shuttle's own control software, is a key integration challenge that sits at the boundary of mechanical and software engineering

- Spatial Coexistence with the Shuttle
The restacker must operate within the same physical space as the shuttle during testing, yet must not obstruct the shuttle's travel path or working envelope during active cycles. The gantry's motion profile and parked configuration must be designed with explicit clearance margins relative to the shuttle's kinematics, verified through spatial analysis before physical integration.
Safety in an Unattended Operating Environment
Because the restacker is specifically intended to eliminate the need for operator presence, its safety architecture must be self-contained. This includes passive braking to prevent uncontrolled descent under power loss, pre-lift load estimation to prevent mechanical overload as the pallet stack grows, and a fault response strategy that brings the system to a safe state without requiring human intervention. Safety must be treated as a system-level design constraint from the outset, not a retrofit.

Solution idea

The proposed solution is a gantry-based pallet restacker purpose-built to replace the human operator's load handling role within the Atlas 1D FAT environment. It operates independently of the shuttle, interfacing only through a synchronization signal that coordinates handoff timing without modifying shuttle firmware. When the shuttle deposits a pallet and returns to standby, the restacker retrieves it; when a new load is required, it places one on the rail and signals readiness.
The mechanical concept uses a vertical stacking principle: the system lowers its current stack onto the next pallet to be retrieved and lifts the combined stack. The reverse sequence deposits the bottom pallet back onto the rail. This minimizes actuated axes and suits the repetitive nature of FAT execution.
The work is structured across four phases: a feasibility and requirements study; proof-of-concept mechanical design and fabrication; embedded control system development, including PCB design, load estimation sensing, and cycle synchronization logic; and structured characterization of operational limits, concluding with an engineering roadmap toward a deployable production tool.
 

Who are we looking for?

A motivated thesis student with a hands-on mindset, strong problem-solving skills and an interest in industrial automation, robotics and product development.

Relevant skills

Mechanical engineering +++++
Programming ++
Electrical Engineering +

What we offer you?

• A place in an enthusiastic, young organisation with the necessary ambitions
• The necessary freedom and the opportunity to take initiatives
• Location Office : Lokeren
• Satellite office in Berchem ( Antwerp )

Unsolicited representations by third parties (recruitment agencies, headhunters, ...) of CVs via mail and/or telephone for our vacancies are considered as direct applications where no compensation is provided to the third party. Any T&Cs from these third parties will not be accepted unless upon signature of the T&Cs by a person in charge of HR. Candidates remain registered in the system for 12 months and cannot be proposed again during this period.