Instead, autonomous mobile robots reduce travel times and increase productivity by locating and retrieving products for orders. Using a human workforce to locate and pick individual items physically is very costly for warehouse facilities. The use of AMRs in this scenario increases worker safety and productivity. Human workers remain in a single spot while items are brought to and taken away from them. Transporting inventory and products within a facility. ĪMRs fall into three main buckets when used in a warehouse environment for e-commerce and logistics: 1. For example, autonomous mobile robots support tasks that speed up the inventory and shipping process in a warehouse setting. It is the mechanism that turns decision-making into action.Īutonomous mobile robots are capable of a variety of applications. Actuation: For AMRs, actuation can be a wheel, linear actuator, or hydraulic ram that assists an AMR in moving within the environment.The data is collected, processed, and analyzed through complex algorithms (often involving machine learning and artificial intelligence) to action the AMR. Information processing: AMRs make decisions in real-time based on the data gathered from sensory inputs.The AMR uses sensors to establish orientation, location, and distance to support decision-making processes, whether via cameras, lasers, sonar, infrared, GPS, or whiskers. Sensing: An AMR must include a mechanism that allows them to “see” their environment.Three critical components of an autonomous mobile robot include: It can learn how to navigate obstacles like furniture and pets while systematically cleaning floors. The consumer robot vacuum cleaner uses sensors to decide how it moves within an environment. The AMRs rely on a series of sensors that help them navigate a given space, avoid obstacles, and make independent decisions in order to complete tasks.Ī typical real-world example of an AMR is a Roomba. How do autonomous mobile robots work?ĪMRs function independently from human workers. AMRs handle a variety of tasks and environments through their use of sophisticated sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. As a result, they are often used to increase operational efficiency, speed, precision, and safety in warehouses, logistical companies, agricultural businesses, and healthcare institutions. What are autonomous mobile robots (AMRs)?Īutonomous mobile robots are capable of independently performing tasks without the support of a human operator.