Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2023 - 22

Autonomous Mobile Robots
upskilling; Address concerns about job
displacement. Overall, it is important for
operations teams to involve workers in
the implementation process, communicate
the benefits of AMRs, and address
concerns about job displacement to enable
workers' acceptance of automation
in their operations.
Joseph Alphonse: No robot can replace
a person. But often people are forced
into dangerous, or repetitive tasks that
robots could do. AMRs can handle ergonomically
stressful tasks that free people
from dull, dirty, dangerous, and repetitive
tasks, enabling them to develop their
skills and pursue more fulfilling jobs
within a specific organization. It doesn't
take long for employees to see this, and
the acceptance of the robotic support is
an easy sell. With the tight labor market
many companies are deploying robots
to handle jobs they can't fill with manual
labor. They work hard to retain the
valuable employees they do have, moving
them to jobs with more upside potential.
The implementation of AMRs provides
a list of benefits from providing a safer
work environment, more predictable lineside
supply, and the realignment of resources
to conduct tasks that increase the
productivity of the manufacturing space
or warehousing environment. The organizational
benefits are widespread.
Tech Briefs: What are the three key
technology trends that will shape the future
of AMRs?
Kevin Dumas: As mentioned previously,
three key technologies - 5G,
advances in fleet management software
and interoperability, and AI - will help
shape the future of AMRs. As enterprises
transition to 5G wireless networks, which
are built specifically to move even more
data more quickly and more accurately,
AMR performance will also make a huge
leap, with faster, more precise decisions
about the paths they take within the facility.
With facilities now deploying large
numbers of AMRs, fleet management
software with a single internal logistics
system is even more important for coordinating,
controlling, and managing
the fleets. From a web-based interface,
fleet management software improves the
efficiency of AMR operations, enabling
easy programming and control of the robots,
including those with different top
modules, hooks, or other accessories.
As AI advances, it will continue to allow
22
fered at all. But, as simulation technology
improves in terms of quality and usability,
that can be integrated as a standard part
of fleet management and enable customers
to continuously optimize their deployments
and improve factory efficiency and
ROI for the robots; adoption of cloud for
data and analytics: Cloud-based offerings
for storing and analyzing robot data can
further help customers figure out how to
optimize their material handling.
Ed Volcic: There are several key techImage:
Locus Robotics
robots to be more effective at learning
from what they experience to better detect
and make intelligent choices in new
situations. The autonomous behavior of
AMRs will only continue to improve.
Steve Branch: Three trends shaping the
future of AMRs include increased AI capabilities
for autonomous decision-making;
Integration of IoT for real-time
data exchange and coordination; and
Advanced machine learning techniques
for improved adaptability and learning
from the environment. Locus's commitment
to operational improvement using
AI has been a central part of the company's
DNA from the very beginning. As AI
technology continues to improve, Locus
will be leveraging these resources to continue
to advance AMR technology for
the warehouse. Locus is also committed
to interoperability with other systems.
To be effective, AMRs need to interface
with other common types of warehouse
automation such as conveyors, sortation
systems, robotic arms, and more.
Jay Judkowitz: Three key trends we see
are improvement in sensor technology:
Right now, the only affordable safety rated
technology is 2D planar LiDAR. Once
we have cost-effective safety rated 3D sensors,
safety, and localization will be able to
be implemented at the highest levels at a
reasonable price; digital twins and overall
improvement of simulation technology:
Right now, simulation tends to be an add
on service from AMR vendors if it's ofwww.techbriefs.com
nology
trends that will shape the future
of AMRs by enabling them to become
more intelligent, flexible, and efficient,
and to operate safely alongside humans
in a wider range of environments. Three
key technology trends include: AI will
play a significant role in the future of
AMRs by enabling them to make more
intelligent decisions and adapt to changing
environments; advanced sensors such
as LiDAR, 3D cameras, and ultrasonic
sensors will continue to improve the navigation
and perception capabilities of
AMRs. These sensors will enable AMRs to
detect objects and obstacles in real-time,
navigate around them, and work safely
alongside humans; cloud computing will
enable AMRs to access real-time data and
analytics from the cloud, allowing them
to make more informed decisions and
operate more efficiently; 5G network
technology is expected to have a significant
impact with AMRs of the future
by supporting faster data transmission,
lower latencies: or delays, in data transmission.
5G technology also provides improved
reliability and network coverage,
enabling AMRs to operate more reliably
in challenging environments such as factories
and warehouses.
Joseph Alphonse: Top technology
trends which will continue to make autonomous
robot implementations more
efficient are the advancement of AI with
respect to navigation and route management
optimization, the decreasing cost
of sensor and cameras, and the improvement
of software tools for ease of commissioning
and fleet management.
For more information, visit:
www.mobile-industrial-robots.com
www.locusrobotics.com
www.ottomotors.com
www.kuka.com
new.abb.com/us/
Tech Briefs, October 2023
http://www.mobile-industrial-robots.com http://www.locusrobotics.com http://www.ottomotors.com http://www.kuka.com http://new.abb.com/us/ http://www.techbriefs.com
Tech Briefs Magazine - October 2023

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