5 Technology Advances Drive the Rapid Deployment of AMRs

1 Artificial intelligence goes beyond the buzzword to make smarter, safer AMRs

Artificial intelligence (AI) remains a confusing buzzword, inconsistently defined across industries and applications. But for AMRs, the technology means smarter robots that can teach themselves how to perform tasks that were previously difficult or impossible without expensive and time-intensive coding. AI requires a significant amount of computational power, which is becoming more accessible for AMR developers. That allows developers to train robots to more quickly identify objects and situations. Although it will be some time before robots can extrapolate outside of that training, a new generation of algorithms allow robots to be more effective at learning from what they experience to better detect and make intelligent choices in new situations.

Today, advanced AMRs rely on AI for capabilities such as identifying objects with greater precision and informing navigation for safe maneuvering through busy facilities, all with less power consumption. And while huge jumps in AI capabilities are still to come, the autonomous behavior of AMRs—how they get from one point to another without truly knowing what goes on around them—will continue to improve.

2 5G is coming – but maybe not as fast as anyone would like

Today’s mobile robots don’t require much infrastructure, so companies can easily start with one robot. However, as soon as facilities add additional robots, they must have a way to connect and manage them. For now, at least, that depends on Wi-Fi. Unfortunately, most Wi-Fi infrastructures were not built for sharing data at this level. Once 5G is widely deployed, its stronger and more robust IT infrastructure will be a game changer for AMRs, enabling companies to efficiently deploy and manage dozens or even hundreds of robots. 5G offers ultra-reliable and ultra-fast high-bandwidth communication, providing the stability to deploy multiple robots running without interruption.

In 2022, more companies will transition away from Wi-Fi connectivity to 4G, a big leap towards the stronger and more-robust IT infrastructure that 5G promises. Even with 4G, facilities will see better data connectivity, enhanced security, and a much higher overall quality of service than what is offered with traditional Wi-Fi. As enterprises ultimately transition to 5G, which is 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.

3 Interoperability and software advancements support fleet management

For individual robots, improvements in sensor technology and connectivity advances such as 5G will help feed data into AMRs’ planning algorithms and software. This data is critical when navigating around facilities, enabling the robots to see any object around it or from above it. With the help of AI, advanced software instructs the robots on the tasks or programs to execute, aiding with path planning or collision avoidance.

Until recently, even two or three AMRs were considered an advanced set up. With facilities now deploying large numbers of AMRs, there’s a greater need for coordinating, controlling, and managing the fleet with a single internal logistics system. 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. Once the programming phase is over, the system manages robot fleet priorities and selects the most suitable robot to the operation that needs to be carried out, based on position and availability. Fleet management software can also be integrated with other software, such as enterprise resource planning (ERP) and warehouse management systems (WMS).

As AMRs become integral to company operations, interoperability has become a driving force for new software advances. AMR vendors and users have teamed up to help enable interoperability across robot brands. The MassRobotics AMR Interoperability Working Group, including MiR, AutoGuide, and others, is developing standards that will “allow organizations to deploy autonomous mobile robots from multiple vendors and have them work together in the same environment, better realizing the promise of warehouse and factory automation.” Version 1.0 was released May 18, 2021.

4 Cybersecurity protects critical data as automation uses more of it

Cybersecurity might not immediately come to mind when it comes to technologies advancing AMRs, but that’s changing. With AI, interoperability, and 5G wireless networks making much more extensive use of company data, organizations deploying robots need to pay attention to how that data is accessed and what AMR vendors are doing to secure it. This closely follows cybersecurity trends in the industrial sector, where threats have received much more attention recently.

The Colonial Pipeline hack (May 2021) is a prominent example of how disruptive industrial cyberattacks can be. Even though the automation industry is not currently seeing a significant increase in attacks, a concerning trend in the number and sophistication of supply chain attacks is worth close attention.

Cyber-physical systems are becoming increasingly interesting both to the security industry and to threat actors. While most attacks still target businesses’ IT infrastructure, threats to the operational technology (OT) devices are rapidly growing. New zero-day vulnerabilities in embedded devices are being identified at an increasing pace and many are not yet patched.

This evolution of the threat landscape means businesses of all sizes need to step up their game regarding cybersecurity. Applying defense-in-depth and applying security best practices throughout the entire product lifecycle are cornerstones of creating secure products. As part of this trend, AMR vendors need to take decisive actions towards ensuring customers are protected in an ever-evolving, interconnected world.

5 The lines are blurring between AMRs and other automated applications

AMRs transform the way companies handle internal logistics so they can be more productive and competitive. That means integrators and vendors are working closely with facility managers to help them take advantage of the advancements in material handling for new applications. Small-payload applications such as transporting raw materials to production or finished products to quality, or even taking out the trash, are already being deployed in facilities worldwide, but more are asking for AMRs that can transport higher payloads, even replacing fully manned fork trucks or pallet lifters. In addition, mobile manipulators, with a collaborative robot arm mounted on mobile platforms, are also advancing as more companies want to move the collaborative robot from one location to another to perform a wider range of tasks and gain higher value from the automation investment.

As companies reap the benefits of automation, they continue to see new opportunities, from the receiving dock, through the manufacturing floor, to the warehouse and shipping. With enhanced performance, security, and interoperability, the lines between traditional systems and AMRs will continue to blur.

Ongoing labor, supply chain, and productivity challenges will only increase the demand for affordable, efficient automation technologies. And while AMRs may represent a young industry, technology advancements and trends such as these are helping drive explosive growth in both capabilities and market adoption.