From automatic guided vehicles to autonomous mobile robots, where is the change?

Whether it is a large enterprise or a small business, internal logistics automation is a thorny issue that often needs to be faced. If you can automate material transportation, why waste your staff resources? Why not invest employee resources in jobs with higher value? By automating material transportation, companies can optimize productivity and schedule delivery more efficiently, reducing bottlenecks in internal manufacturing.

Until recently, the traditional Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGV) remained the only solution for automating internal transportation operations. AGV is a common device in large fixtures and is typically used for material delivery with repeatability and consistency, and companies need to be able to accept large initial costs and long-term return on investment (ROI). Today, more sophisticated, flexible and cost-effective autonomous mobile robot (AMR) technology poses a serious challenge to the AGV market. Although both AGV and AMR can handle material transportation, the similarity only stops there.

Fixed route vs smart navigation

The AGV's in-vehicle intelligence is extremely low and can only be subject to simple programming instructions. If you want to navigate, you need to use wires, magnetic strips or sensors to guide. When installing, you usually need to perform a comprehensive (and expensive) device update, which may also cause production interruption during this period. The AGV is limited to a few fixed routes, so if there is a need to modify the route later, it will add additional costs and interfere with the manufacturing process. The AGV can detect obstacles in front of you, but cannot bypass them, so once you encounter obstacles, you can only stop moving forward until the obstacles are manually removed.

In contrast, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can use software to map maps within the factory or import factory buildings drawings in advance. This feature is equivalent to a car loaded with GPS and a pre-installed map. When the car sets people's residence and work address, they can generate the most convenient path based on the location on the map. This is exactly the same as the mechanism for autonomous mobile robots to pick up parts after location information is set. AMR can use the data in cameras, built-in sensors, laser scanners, and complex software to detect the surrounding environment and choose the most efficient way to get to the destination. It enables complete autonomous work and, if there are forklifts, pallets, personnel or other obstacles in front of it, it can use the best alternative route for safe bypass. As a result, it is possible to ensure the progress of the material transport wave to optimize productivity.

Awesome applications vs. extremely flexible

Autonomous operation makes AMR more flexible than AGV. The AGV is limited to following a fixed route integrated into the plant's facility, and usually the route is installed on the ground. This means that its specific application will be very limited, and the AGV can only perform the same transportation tasks throughout its lifetime. If you need to change the route, the cost is very high, and it will also cause production interruption, so it is not cost effective.

AMR can change tasks with a simple software adjustment. The same robot can perform a variety of tasks at different locations and automatically adjust to meet changing environmental and production requirements. The tasks performed by AMR can be controlled via the robot interface or configured using robotic fleet control software for multiple robots. The control software automatically prioritizes the commands and selects the most suitable for an item based on location and suitability. The robot for a given mission. Once a task has been developed, employees will not have to spend time coordinating the work of the robot and will be able to focus on high value-added work and drive the company's operational success.

Suitable for traditional business models vs tailored for agile business

The flexibility of AMR is particularly important in modern manufacturing environments where it is important to ensure agility and flexibility in the context of modern manufacturing environments where changes to products or production lines are required. AMR is highly adaptable to agile production of facilities of any size. If you need to move a production unit, or add a new production unit or process, you can quickly and easily upload a new building map, or re-map the AMR on-site to make it ready for new tasks. This superior performance allows companies to fully control the robot and its functions. As business needs evolve, workers can easily redeploy robots to achieve production optimization in highly dynamic environments without the need to limit the rigid AGV infrastructure.

Costly vs. economical

Although AMR is loaded with much more advanced technology than AGV, it is generally a more economical solution. AMR eliminates the need for wires, magnetic strips, or expensive modifications to the building infrastructure, so AMRs start faster, cost less, and do not create costly production disruptions during deployment. Because AMR can be deployed quickly and easily, productivity gains are almost immediately achieved. AMR's initial cost is low and its process is optimized quickly, providing a very fast return on investment (usually less than six months). As business volumes continue to grow, AMR applications can be expanded at very low incremental costs.

The modern manufacturing environment is no longer dependent on expensive and rigid traditional technologies, nor can it afford the low-performing outcomes of continuing to use manpower to transport materials, especially in the context of today's labor market that is so in short supply. Autonomous mobile robots are definitely superior to AGV in terms of flexibility, cost-effectiveness, return on investment, and productivity optimization. To a certain extent, all companies should ask themselves: Can we afford it without AMR?