Automated Guided Vehicle
KV-Techniek the robot company, introduces their own developed AGV; Automated Guided Vehicle.
What is an AGV?
AGV is an abbreviation of the word Automated Guided Vehicle, this vehicle does not require any human control or intervention. An AGV is unmanned and drives around via software and various scanners. There are various types of AGVs. KV-Techniek has built an AGV in the form of a self-driving forklift truck that can pick up, move and put away pallets and/or boxes.
The idea behind the AGV
The simple idea behind the AGV is to replace people for machines. Why would we want to replace people with machines, and in this case a forklift truck for an AGV. Labor is becoming more and more expensive and scarce and it is certainly difficult to find well-qualified personnel. In many companies, the forklift causes a lot of damage to buildings, doors and machines. Also, forklifts in environments where people walk and work are a dangerous combination. All these dangers and expenses will decrease when a forklift is replaced by an AGV.
Which navigation does the AGV use
A Swiss system is integrated into the AGV that organizes navigation / localization. Very simplistically described this works as follows. There are several scanners on the vehicle that look into space at different heights. When "teaching" the AGV, this system creates an image of the room. The fixed parts of the building are fixed as reference points (e.g. walls, trusses, etc.) There are encoders on the drive wheel and on the motor of the steering wheel (encoders are sensors used to detect an angular movement, speed, linear position or distance traveled) these are also linked to the navigation system. When the AGV starts driving, it always sees 1 of the reference points that have been learned with a scanner and on the basis of the encoders on the wheels the AGV knows where it is and checks this (and corrects it if necessary) with the scanners on the reference points. A very simplistic comparison of this is when you go to the toilet at night in your own house in the dark you know the way very well, almost blindly you know when you take 6 steps forward and 3 aside you are at the toilet. Still, just to be on the safe side, you occasionally feel somewhere to a wall to check whether it is correct that you think where you are and if necessary adjust your travel plan with an x number of steps.
Advantages of an AGV
- Flexible
- Safe and trustworthy
- Increases productivity
- Reduces labor costs
- Can be used continuously
What can an AGV be used for?
An AGV is used to move materials from one place to another. They do not require human control and are most efficiently deployed in warehouses and distribution centers. An AGV is also useful in workplaces where few people can be accommodated to operate machines, as well as in areas where the space is too narrow or too dangerous to place forklifts, conveyor belts and carts.
Contact
If you have any questions or are interested in our AGV, please feel free to contact us.