Autonomous Mobile Robot’s (AMR’s) Application in Warehouses

With the increasing adoption of Industry 4.0 practices in businesses, automation has become a new normal for many applications like robotics arm, sorting and picking material handling, and conveyor systems. Robotics is one of the key technology advancements in the Industry 4.0 paradigm where it has solved the most complex problems of the industry.

When it comes to robotics in industries,Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Robots (AGVs) have become an integral part of many warehouse operations with their ability to overcome the limitations of traditional industrial vehicles. The global AGV and AMR market is projected to reach $13.2 billion by 2026 with a growth rate of approximately 35% (Business Wire). This growth indicates that mobile robots are the present and the future of industrial operations.

AGVs are part of warehousing applications for a long time but AMRs are new, better, and enhanced versions of AGVs. Let’s understand how they differentiate.

Difference between AGVs and AMRs:

• AGVs are Automated Guided Vehicles that are pre-programmed for specific tasks and operations in warehouses. These are guided by wires installed on the floor or magnetic strips, require navigation setup, and renovation of the facility if needed, so they are not resilient to the environment.
• An AMR uses sensors and advanced processors to perceive the nearby environment and takes autonomous actions using AI/ML-based algorithms. Models are trained under specific applications environment, so AMR learns by itself and dynamically plans its future operations. It uses sensors like LiDaR (Light Detection and Ranging), camera, ultrasonic, and so on to map the environment around. It automatically finds the best path in case of any obstacles.

AMRs can do more complex jobs now due to technological advancements in the field of edge AI and machine vision. However, AI (Artificial Intelligence) has been a key part of an AMR overall architecture but with new advanced hardware and software stacks in the market (Nvidia, Intel, and Qualcomm), processing power is high and so are the outputs. Thus, the AMR application base has increased to more than just material handling. AI and vision solutions are enabling automated path findings, obstacle detections, and finding the most efficient ways to deliver the material.

AMR Applications in Warehouses:

• Loading and Unloading Material- AMR uses sensor inputs to detect pallets or any material and easily navigates around the shop floor for storage.
• Order Picking-AMR automatically carries out the required materials from stock as per order and takes them to the packing station, reducing hours getting lost in search of the right material in piles of stock.
• Inventory Management- AMR moves across the warehouse with inbuilt scanners to record all the stock on shelves.
• Cleaning and Disinfecting: During the pandemic, cleanliness has become an important part of any work environment and AMRs with cleaning tools and scrubbers inbuilt are helping in maintaining a clean environment.

AMR applications are not limited to just these use cases. The best part of adapting to this new technology is that it is easy to deploy, monitor, and alter according to the dynamic requirements.

eInfochips has been working toward providing advanced robotics solutions to customers. eInfochips has launched its Center of Excellence (CoE) around autonomous machines where continuous R&D is in progress to cater to clients with futuristic designs and solutions. We are working on AMR design and development for many of our customers by utilizing advanced platforms like Nvidia, Jetson, Nano, Xavier, Qualcomm QBR5165, and many more.

Let’s make autonomous machines and robots smarter than ever and ready to take on real-world challenges! Connect with our experts today.