Tips for AGV Steering Wheel and Drive Wheel Selection

Tips for AGV Steering Wheeland Drive Wheel Selection

AGV, an abbreviation forAutomated Guided Vehicle, refers to automated transport vehicles equipped withautomatic guidance devices such as electromagnetic or optical systems. Thesevehicles can travel along designated paths with safety protection and variousmaterial handling functions. They are a type of wheeled robot.

AMR, short for AutonomousMobile Robot, is another type of wheeled robot that differs from AGVs in thatit can perceive its surroundings using sensors and make correspondingdecisions, such as obstacle avoidance, safe navigation, and selecting optimalpaths. Similarly, it belongs to wheeled robots and commonly uses lasernavigation or a combination of visual and inertial navigation systems.

Material handling AGVs aimto electrify and automate various traditional handling tools to achieveunmanned/intelligent material handling, primarily used for automating thehandling of various materials.

Material handling AGVsmainly consist of AGV chassis, handling devices, and control systems.

There are various forms ofmaterial handling AGVs, including concealed traction types (uni-directional,bi-directional, omni-directional), rear-traction types, load-bearing types(flatbed, scissor lift, pallet lift, integral lift), conveyor-bearing types(single-layer conveyor, single-layer lift conveyor, single-layermulti-dimensional conveyor, multi-layer conveyor), and fork-lift bearing types(forklift-type, fork-bearing, coil-bearing, forklift), etc.

Assembly AGVs differ frommaterial handling AGVs in their complexity of functions, capable of handlingcomplex actions such as loading and unloading before transporting items.Typical assembly AGVs include robotic arm AGVs, roller AGVs, forklift-type AGVs,and lift platform AGVs. These AGV types are modifications of the basic chassis,incorporating additional functions to perform a range of complex actions.

Assembly AGVs have a higherdegree of automation than material handling AGVs, enabling complete laborliberation and integration of handling and loading/unloading functions. AGVstransport goods between stations, stopping at each station to load and unloadcargo. They can be integrated with production lines and conveyor systems totransfer items assembled or produced on the line onto the AGV fortransportation. Assembly AGVs typically have a heavy-duty design, making themsuitable for transporting large products such as automobiles.

Magnetic strip navigation isa highly mature technology primarily measuring the magnetic field signals alonga path to determine the vehicle's position relative to the target trackingpath, enabling vehicle control and navigation. Magnetic strip navigation boastshigh measurement accuracy and repeatability, unaffected by changes in lightingconditions, and exhibits high reliability and robustness during operation. Oncethe magnetic strips are laid down, maintenance costs are very low, with a longservice life, and path additions or changes are relatively easy. However,magnetic strips require advance planning and deployment, are prone to damage,and can attract metallic objects, potentially causing AGV equipment failures.

QR code navigation involvesdiscretely placing QR codes along the AGV's route, with the AGV's onboardcamera scanning and decoding the QR codes to obtain real-time coordinates. QRcode guidance is currently the most common AGV navigation method on the market,often combined with inertial navigation. For instance, Amazon's KIVA robotsutilize this navigation method for autonomous movement. While relativelyflexible and convenient for laying and changing paths, QR codes are prone towear and require regular maintenance.

Inertial navigation involvesinstalling gyroscopes on AGVs to measure the vehicle's three-axis angularvelocity and acceleration, using integration calculations for navigationpositioning. Inertial navigation offers low cost and high short-term accuracybut suffers from significant drawbacks, such as gyroscopic errors accumulatingover time, leading to position loss, hence often used as an auxiliarynavigation method.

Magnetic nail navigationdetects the magnetic signals of magnetic nails to find the traveling path,converting continuous sensing used in magnetic strip navigation to intermittentsensing. Therefore, the distance between magnetic nails cannot be too large,and AGVs between two magnetic nails are in a distance-measurement state,requiring encoders to measure the distance traveled. Additionally, the controlmodules used in magnetic nail navigation are the same as those used in magneticstrip navigation. While it has low environmental requirements and is generallyused in combination with inertial navigation control, it incurs highconstruction costs, requires hole digging for burial, has poor flexibility, andhigh post-construction change costs.

AGV, an abbreviation forAutomated Guided Vehicle, refers to automated transport vehicles equipped withautomatic guidance devices such as electromagnetic or optical systems. Thesevehicles can travel along designated paths with safety protection and variousmaterial handling functions. They are a type of wheeled robot.

AMR, short for AutonomousMobile Robot, is another type of wheeled robot that differs from AGVs in thatit can perceive its surroundings using sensors and make correspondingdecisions, such as obstacle avoidance, safe navigation, and selecting optimalpaths. Similarly, it belongs to wheeled robots and commonly uses lasernavigation or a combination of visual and inertial navigation systems.

Material handling AGVs aimto electrify and automate various traditional handling tools to achieveunmanned/intelligent material handling, primarily used for automating thehandling of various materials.

Material handling AGVsmainly consist of AGV chassis, handling devices, and control systems.

There are various forms ofmaterial handling AGVs, including concealed traction types (uni-directional,bi-directional, omni-directional), rear-traction types, load-bearing types(flatbed, scissor lift, pallet lift, integral lift), conveyor-bearing types(single-layer conveyor, single-layer lift conveyor, single-layermulti-dimensional conveyor, multi-layer conveyor), and fork-lift bearing types(forklift-type, fork-bearing, coil-bearing, forklift), etc.

Assembly AGVs differ frommaterial handling AGVs in their complexity of functions, capable of handlingcomplex actions such as loading and unloading before transporting items.Typical assembly AGVs include robotic arm AGVs, roller AGVs, forklift-typeAGVs, and lift platform AGVs. These AGV types are modifications of the basicchassis, incorporating additional functions to perform a range of complexactions.

Assembly AGVs have a higherdegree of automation than material handling AGVs, enabling complete laborliberation and integration of handling and loading/unloading functions. AGVstransport goods between stations, stopping at each station to load and unloadcargo. They can be integrated with production lines and conveyor systems totransfer items assembled or produced on the line onto the AGV fortransportation. Assembly AGVs typically have a heavy-duty design, making themsuitable for transporting large products such as automobiles.

Magnetic strip navigation isa highly mature technology primarily measuring the magnetic field signals alonga path to determine the vehicle's position relative to the target trackingpath, enabling vehicle control and navigation. Magnetic strip navigation boastshigh measurement accuracy and repeatability, unaffected by changes in lightingconditions, and exhibits high reliability and robustness during operation. Oncethe magnetic strips are laid down, maintenance costs are very low, with a longservice life, and path additions or changes are relatively easy. However,magnetic strips require advance planning and deployment, are prone to damage,and can attract metallic objects, potentially causing AGV equipment failures.

QR code navigation involvesdiscretely placing QR codes along the AGV's route, with the AGV's onboardcamera scanning and decoding the QR codes to obtain real-time coordinates. QRcode guidance is currently the most common AGV navigation method on the market,often combined with inertial navigation. For instance, Amazon's KIVA robotsutilize this navigation method for autonomous movement. While relativelyflexible and convenient for laying and changing paths, QR codes are prone towear and require regular maintenance.

Inertial navigation involvesinstalling gyroscopes on AGVs to measure the vehicle's three-axis angular velocityand acceleration, using integration calculations for navigation positioning.Inertial navigation offers low cost and high short-term accuracy but suffersfrom significant drawbacks, such as gyroscopic errors accumulating over time,leading to position loss, hence often used as an auxiliary navigation method.

Magnetic nail navigationdetects the magnetic signals of magnetic nails to find the traveling path,converting continuous sensing used in magnetic strip navigation to intermittentsensing. Therefore, the distance between magnetic nails cannot be too large,and AGVs between two magnetic nails are in a distance-measurement state,requiring encoders to measure the distance traveled. Additionally, the controlmodules used in magnetic nail navigation are the same as those used in magneticstrip navigation. While it has low environmental requirements and is generallyused in combination with inertial navigation control, it incurs highconstruction costs, requires hole digging for burial, has poor flexibility, andhigh post-construction change costs.