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Free-ranging material-mover is 15% cheaper to deploy than AGVs

24 April, 2013

The US robotics specialist Adept Technology has developed a self-navigating “autonomous indoor vehicle” (AIV), designed to move materials from point to point in challenging environments such as confined passages and populated areas.

Unlike a traditional AGV (autonomously guided vehicle), the Lynx AIV does not need any facility modifications, such as floor magnets or navigational beacons, cutting deployment costs by up to 15%, according to Adept.

In addition, says Rush LaSelle, Adept’s general manager of mobile robots, the vehicle’s software and controls allow it “to intelligently navigate around people and unplanned obstacles, that stop AGVs short”.

The AIV, which can carry payloads weighing up to 60kg, uses a digital map to locate itself and manages its own power and self-charging operations. It can operate for up to 19 hours per day at speeds of up to 1.8m/s.

Adept's Lynx autonomous indoor vehicle

•  Several Adept robots can now be programmed directly from PLCs. The robots interface with PLCs including models from Allen Bradley and Siemens. This allows operators to deploy robots quickly and inexpensively without needing to learn a new programming language. The ePLC robots include versions of Adept’s Cobra, Quattro, and Viper systems.




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