Logistics · Robotics
AMRs, AGVs and the operating reality of mobile robotics
Mobile robots create value when navigation, traffic, payload transfer and warehouse systems are engineered as one flow.
AGV or AMR
AGVs usually follow predefined paths or markers. AMRs use onboard sensing and mapping to plan routes with more flexibility. The distinction does not remove operational constraints: both require defined interfaces, safe zones, charging strategy, fleet rules and exception handling.
Integration matters
A robot moving a pallet is only one link. WMS, ERP, manufacturing execution, doors, elevators, conveyors and hand-off stations must exchange reliable status. Fleet managers need priorities and traffic rules; operators need a clear response when a route is blocked or a payload is misaligned.
Business case
Model throughput by hour, peak demand, empty travel, charging, availability and human intervention. IFR reported transport and logistics as the largest professional service-robot application in 2025. That signals commercial maturity, but it does not guarantee return in a facility with poor process discipline or insufficient integration.