Feature

Sensing the way forward to a mobile future

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and their smaller cousins Automated Guided Carts (AGCs) promise to free more production environments from the slavery of fixed lines, conveyors and linear processes and make workflows more flexible.

04/02/2019 10:37:13

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It is advances in sensing technology that are blazing this trail to a more mobile and driverless future. Sensors tell AGVs and AGCs where they are and where they are going. They give them
eyes and intelligence to recognise the world around them, so that they can avoid collisions and keep people safe. They help vehicles to correctly identify and pick up their loads, then guide them into the
warehouses space once they arrive at their destination.

To successfully integrate the right sensing technology into AGVs and AGCs, you need to use the same selection criteria as for any other sensor: Is it compact,
robust and reliable in tough production environments? Does it offer connectivity to link to other factory systems to enable, for example, identification of real-time position, or to ensure traceability of goods or packages? Does it
meet the correct safety certifications to fulfil the requirements of your risk assessment? Above all, does it facilitate availability and optimise productivity including easy set up and replacement?

Read the full article in the February issue of DPA

Written By Sophia Bell

Sophia Bell is the Group Editor of DPA, Connectivity, and PBSI. She joined the team in 2020 as Assistant Editor after achieving a First-Class Honours BA in English Literature and Film Studies from the University of East Anglia. In her current role, she leads the editorial strategy, driving digital growth and ensuring each title continues to deliver trusted, relevant insight for engineering and manufacturing professionals.