Figure 3: Type B AMR with a roller table attachment. This also shows typical navigation and safety systems common to all three types of AMRs. (Image source: Omron)
Type C: A type A AMR with the addition of a manipulator. The manipulator can be a robotic arm with three or more axes of movement. Type C AMRs can be designed to function as collaborative robots (cobots) working alongside humans. They can also be machine attendants, perform pick and place operations, complete complex inspection tasks, do harvesting and weeding in agricultural settings, etc. Some designs can move from place to place and perform different tasks at each station. Commissioning, mapping, and following the lights All three types of AMRs are designed to simplify deployment. Compared with AGVs that
require extensive infrastructure installation, no construction is necessary for AMR deployment, and programming needs can be minimal. Basic commissioning is a four-step process (Figure 4): ■ The AMR is delivered with all the needed software installed; the first task is to install and charge the battery. ■ Mapping is critical and can be manually or automatically implemented. For manual mapping, a technician controls the AMR and takes it around the facility so it can learn about the environment. Laser-guided AMRs can automatically scan up to 1,000 square feet per minute to create maps capturing all the features in the immediate area and wirelessly send the resulting map to a central
computer. In both cases, maps can be customized with virtual routes and forbidden lines for safe operations and can be shared across fleets of AMRs. ■ Setting goals includes the identification of pick-up and drop-off locations. ■ Task assignment is the final step and includes scheduling and coordination of the various AMRs in the fleet and integration with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and the Warehouse Management System (WMS).
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