To sum up this analysis, it can be assumed that Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is the broadest category that encompasses all automated trolleys (mobile robots) used for internal transport in warehouses and production facilities. The items to be transported are either on a pallet or a specially adapted cart on wheels – the robot moves under the cart, attaches to it from below, and begins the delivery. They are very easy to spot – low platforms equipped with a load collection mechanism. The aforementioned VERSABOT 500 and VERSABOT 1000 belong to the currently most popular class of AGVs in the industry – unit load vehicles. autonomous forklifts, that enable horizontal transport, but also collection and delivery of loads to the higher shelves of storage racks. An interesting class of AGV robots are the so-called fork vehicles, i.e. These types of trolleys or trucks are designed to move loads on mobile platforms. As mentioned above, the first AGV trolley was a tug, representing the category of towing vehicles. Unit load vehicles, tugs and forkliftsĪpart from a division based on intelligence and autonomy, AMRs also represent several different functional classes. An example of Autonomous Mobile Robots, transport trolleys with actual autonomy, are the VERSABOT 500 and VERSABOT 1000. If the AGV truly possesses such capabilities, then it fully deserves to be called an AMR. a forklift operated by a person) and passage will be possible shortly, or whether it is better to choose a new route to the collection and delivery point. Thanks to the use of laser scanners, AGV robots could be ‘unleashed’ – physical guidance systems became superfluous.ĪGV robots, if equipped with the appropriate software, can independently make decisions about the best route to take, but also assess whether a given obstacle is temporary (e.g. It compares the current state of the environment with the digital counterpart, which enables it to distinguish between permanent obstacles (storage shelves, pillars, walls, etc.) and temporary obstructions (e.g. Once implemented, the map is a reference guide for the robot. Using this technology, the robot scans the surroundings and possible routes during its first journey and creates a digital map of the area. This is where the name Laser-Guided Vehicle (LGV) comes from. Machine vision and laser-based navigation were the next big breakthroughs. Guides like these, made from ferromagnetic or light reflective material, did not require as much interference into the architecture of the work environment as inductive guidance, which greatly contributed to the popularisation of AGV robots. The replacement of live wires embedded in the floor with adhesive tapes stuck to the surface of it was another milestone. The key to the development of AGV robots was a navigation system capable of working inside warehouses and production facilities. It had very limited autonomy – it moved thanks to inductive guidance, that is, along a live wire embedded into the plant floor. This historic robot was a kind of tug, adapted to pull trolleys and trucks without their own engines. Barrett Electronics facility in Northbrook, Illinois. However, it is worth remembering that the first AGV trolley was introduced as early as the mid-twentieth century. The automation of internal transport is currently associated primarily with the concept of Industry 4.0, i.e. However, regardless of the terms used, a rudimentary distinction can be made based on the level of autonomy of the machine. How to tell these machines apart? What design and functional differences are hidden in these terms and abbreviations?Īn overabundance of names is often a result of a strong desire among manufacturers to distinguish their robots from the competition. There are also terms like Autonomous Intelligent Vehicle (AIV), Self-Guided Vehicle (SGV), and even Laser-Guided Vehicle (LGV). It is often used alongside or even interchangeably with the name Automated Mobile Robot ( AMR). Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is the most common name for various types of automatic trolleys used for internal transport.
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