One of the areas that have noticeably expanded and grown since COVID-19 is the logistics market. As the number of e-commerce orders exploded, there was a shortage of labor at logistics sites, and logistics centers around the world are scrambling to expand automation facilities. Among them, there is a unique mobility that stands out. ‘OOO’, which enables more efficient and accurate logistics processing, is now a must, not an option, in all logistics sites. Introducing AGV (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robots), which will ease the labor of workers and keep them safe.
An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a vehicle that picks up products and transports them to a designated location without a worker. It is also called a fixed-route transfer robot because it moves along a set course through guide devices such as magnetic tape and markers installed on the floor and transports objects to a designated place. It is attracting attention as a key solution indispensable for logistics automation because it performs picking* tasks that are costly and time-consuming among logistics tasks.
*Picking: The task of finding and storing products according to the order
AGVs can be thought of as a newly emerging smart solution because they drive unmanned like robots, but Amazon, a leader in logistics innovation, has already introduced and operated AGVs for about 10 years. Unlike the cute appearance of a robot vacuum cleaner, the AGV ‘Kiva’ moves at 4.8 km/h and handles heavy items weighing 1,360 kg. Cameras installed on the top and bottom of the body determine the location, and an infrared sensor attached to the front prevents collision with obstacles. It is said that the work of 300 workers can be done with 25 Kivas. As the excellent performance of AGVs has been proven, competitors such as DHL and Alibaba are also introducing and using AGVs.
AGVs are outstanding not only in logistics but also in production lines. In the past, conveyor belt lines were introduced and utilized to increase efficiency when manufacturing automobiles. The body of the car moved along the belt, and the workers installed the parts they were responsible for. Because the production speed was very fast, it achieved economies of scale and contributed to the popularization of automobiles. However, with the development of today's technology, unmanned robot systems have emerged, and diversified consumer needs have required a variety of small-volume production method, conveyor belts have given way to AGVs.
Instead of a conveyor belt, several AGVs move in a line. Workers assemble parts on the fly when the AGV stops. When you're done with one line, you move on to the next line. If a problem arises in the assembly process, only the AGV carrying the part is taken off the line. A big advantage is that you can flexibly deal with unexpected situations because you do not have to adjust the entire production line.
The AGV, which used to drive along a set line, now moves on its own. AMR, which stands for Autonomous Mobile Robots, utilizes its own built-in LiDar sensor*, camera, GPS, deep learning, etc. communicate.
*LiDar sensor: A key technology for autonomous driving that can detect the distance to an object and various physical properties by shining a laser on the target
If AGVs are mainly installed in large-scale warehouses or factories where sufficient infrastructure such as magnetic tapes and rails can be installed, AMRs can be applied to places with large floating populations such as department stores, hotels, and airports.
AMRs introduced in the service sector are playing a variety of roles. Guide robots that introduce spaces and artworks in museums and fairs, serving robots that transport food in restaurants, medical robots that provide various services such as nursing assistants, cleaning, guidance, and patient management, places that are difficult to access by humans, such as in contaminated areas These include quarantine robots that perform missions in the city, 24-hour security robots that are responsible for people's safety, such as security, management, and patrol. Furthermore, personal service robots have recently appeared in the United States. They deliver drinks or chase people like pets.
AGV and AMR, whose value is more recognized in the B2C area beyond B2B. How will it evolve in the future and change our lives? We look forward to future performances.
All News
14 Dec 2020
All automotive parts which Mando Aftermarket produces, should be transported to Europe, Russia, Africa and Central Asia with the help of Turkey
21 Nov 2020
In addition to the automotive industry, the Halla Group carries out activities in many other areas. These include, for example, shipbuilding, education and sports.
03 Apr 2020
One of the largest brands in the automotive supply industry is Mando Aftermarket, which is part of the South Korean Halla Corporation Europe.
21 Nov 2020
This event was organized by one of the largest purchasing groups in the world called Nexus, with which we cooperate.