Tool · SEER

Aisle width calculator for autonomous forklifts and AMRs

Pick a SEER forklift or lifting robot, enter your pallet or cart and see how much aisle it needs to turn.

How is it calculated?

The classic formula R + X + b + a assumes pallets as wide as the robot. With wide pallets the front pallet corner sweeps a larger arc, so its real radius is used:

Lt = √(R² − (Wv/2 + e)²)
X  = (L − Lf) − Lt + d
Rp = √((X + b)² + (Wp/2 + e)²)
Rn = √(X² + (Wp/2 + e)²)        only if X < 0
R* = max(R, Rn)

Turn  = R* + Rp + a
Line  = max(Wv, Wp) + 2·s
RASA  = max(turn, line)

R: robot turning radius · X: fork face relative to the turning center (negative when the center sits under the pallet) · e: lateral turning-center offset · a: total clearance to racks · s: side clearance per side.

A lifting robot slides under the cart and turns in place with it. The cart sweeps a circle as large as its diagonal, and the robot only needs its own turning diameter. The minimum aisle is the larger of the two plus the same clearance as the forklifts: a fixed 200 mm + extra clearance (200 mm by default).

Dc = √(Wc² + Lc²)
Aisle   = max(Dc, Dr) + a

Wc, Lc: cart width and length · Dc: cart diagonal · Dr: robot turning diameter (data sheet) · a: clearance (fixed 200 mm + extra).

Reference result. Assumes a single-motion 90° turn and the pallet pushed fully onto the forks. Validate the final layout with the robot manufacturer.

How is the aisle width calculated?

For an autonomous forklift the key figure is the RASA (right angle stacking aisle): the minimum width needed to make a 90° turn with the pallet and place it in the rack. The calculator starts from the turning radius and dimensions on each SEER forklift data sheet, adds the pallet and a clearance to the racks: a fixed 200 mm plus an extra clearance you set (200 mm by default). With pallets wider than the robot it uses the real radius of the front pallet corner, which sweeps a larger arc.

For a lifting robot (an AMR that slides under a cart and turns in place with it), the aisle is set by the larger of the cart diagonal and the robot turning diameter, plus the same clearance. The result is a reference for designing your layout; we validate the final one during the survey of your plant.

Tool · SEER

Frequently asked questions

What is the RASA aisle?

RASA (right angle stacking aisle) is the minimum aisle width a forklift needs to make a 90° turn with the load and place it in the rack. It is the standard figure for comparing forklifts and designing a warehouse layout.

What data do I need to calculate the aisle?

Just the SEER forklift or robot model and your pallet or cart dimensions (width and length). The robot data (turning radius, forks and dimensions) is already loaded from its data sheet.

Does it work for lifting robots and carts?

Yes. In lifting-robot mode it compares the cart diagonal with the robot turning diameter and adds the same clearance as for the forklifts.

Is the result final?

It is a reference: it assumes a single-motion 90° turn and the pallet fully on the forks. As an authorized SEER Robotics distributor we validate the final layout with you and the manufacturer.