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Table of Contents
Autonomous Ground Vehicles
UGV and AGV Vehicles
Use of autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) and unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is rapidly growing as multiple industries race to replace repetitive, labor intensive, and dangerous tasks, improving efficiency, productivity, and safety. While the terms AGV and UGV are often used interchangeably, there are a few differences. One key difference is that AGVs are used within buildings, such as in warehouses while UGVs are primarily used outdoors. Other key differentiators are:
| AGVs | UGVs |
|---|---|
| * Operate indoors | * Operate outdoors |
| * Navigation with LIDAR or guided paths | * Use GNSS |
| * Wireless communication | * Communicate wirelessly |
| * Battery powered | * Use video |
| * Battery or fuel operated |
Autonomous mobile vehicles, such as AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) and AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), are widely used in warehouses and manufacturing plants. Their primary goal is to increase safety, efficiency, and productivity by automating the transport of materials or products. They can reduce the risk of accidents and lower operating costs. Furthermore, the use of smaller automated vehicles allows for maximum warehouse space compared to larger, manually operated vehicles. Autonomous vehicles are divided into two types: assisted navigation vehicles and smart navigation vehicles.
Assisted Navigation
AGVs, or Automated Guided Vehicles, are vehicles controlled by “tags” detected by special sensors. The most common navigation method is laser triangulation. The laser sensor in the AGV scans reflective targets placed at specific locations within the facility (see Figure 1). Based on the signals from these targets, it calculates its position and maps a route using a built-in algorithm.
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