How to track a fork truck?

Hi, I am a complete Newbie here.

I have been asked by my company owner to figure out when or if our fork trucks are being utilized. We do not own the fork trucks so I cannot open any covers or attach to any electrical components. We brain-stormed some ideas and he is a big tinker guy, think Christmas lights, he wants me to put an Arduino device on the trucks and figure out when they are moving.

I was thinking of using an Arduino Uno WIFI Rev2 board with a Grove - 6-Axis Accelerometer & Gyroscope. Is this the best way to go about this request? I just need to know that they are moving and for how long. Seems pretty simple but again I am a complete Newbie.

Thanks in advance folks!

Is this the best way to go about this request?

If all you want to know is whether the truck is moving, sure. Useless for knowing exactly where it is.

A web cam seems a lot simpler to me. No code to write.

Are you sure the forklift doesn’t already have a hour meter?

That should pretty much tell you the “If” part.

The Spot Trace would tell you when and where a truck is at all times, and when it moves, unless it is in a building where GPS and satellite communications don't work.

When a forklift is in use there are constant direction changes and turns - and bumps. That should be enough to trigger a simple *tilt switch *and generate some logging.

p.s. For the same reason a tilt switch works whatever you come up with had better be extremely rugged.

This came up a couple days ago too. https://www.pozyx.io/

PaulS:
A web cam seems a lot simpler to me. No code to write.

I had not thought of a web cam. Thank you

@Slumpert - Yes but some of them are not functioning properly unfortunately.

@jremington - No these are all inside a metal structure.

@dougP - Thank you, I'll look into that.

@ChrisTenone - I actually found that page also. I'll see what I can figure out. Thanks!

Update:
I have an Arduino Uno WiFi Rev 2 with a Grove -6-Axis Accelerometer & Gyroscope attached. I have connected them to my laptop and I downloaded some sample code to start. The readings are registering in the Serial Monitor window.

My question is would using the Accelerometer or the Gyroscope be better to gather the information? I'm leaning towards the Accelerometer. The initial ask was are the trucks moving. But couldn't I use that data to gage the speed also couldn't I? Although this may be beyond my coding skills unless I can find an example somewhere.

Edit: LOL, I answered my own question by reading up on Gyroscopes. I want to use the Accelerometer and find a way to convert the raw data to acceleration. If anyone has any good links please let me know.

No, use GPS for that or measure the speed of the tires somehow.

But as always: If the requirements are changed all the time throughout the design phase, you'll never get anywhere.

MadTinker1407:
Hi, I am a complete Newbie here.

I have been asked by my company owner to figure out when or if our fork trucks are being utilized. We do not own the fork trucks so I cannot open any covers or attach to any electrical components.

You may want to review that assumption.
You should be able to get battery power and you can put on clamp on amp meters that are not invasive.
look at your mouse. it has no ball, but it can detect movement and speed.
As a note, idle machine, with a load, and people preparing for a place to move the load is still in operation.
There are lots of ways to add sensors in a non-invasive way, That would not risk any damage to the equipment and would allow instantaneous removal.
you can watch the speedometer and determine the reported speed.
a magnet on a wheel rim, a magnet holding a HALL sensor, would allow for some monitoring.
a pair of magnetically held pulleys and a coil of string could show height of the forks.

couka:
If the requirements are changed all the time throughout the design phase, you'll never get anywhere.

Walking on water and working from requirements are both easy, if they are frozen.