Master key terms in the world of robotics 01: AMR

We hear this word a lot these days on the topic of industrial robots, but it’s hard to answer with confidence when asked, “What does it mean?”. Do you have such words? 

In this new column, “Master key terms in the world of robotics,” we introduce such key words and new terms in the industrial robotics industry. This first article focuses on AMR. 

What is an AMR?

The word “AMR,” which often appears in SEISANZAI Japan articles, is an acronym for Autonomous Mobile Robot. 

Simply put, an AMR is a device that carries an object to a designated position when an object is placed on it. In factories, AMRs carry plastic boxes containing small parts, etc. In warehouses, AMRs carry pallets of boxes or shelves of cargo. Food service robots for restaurants with stepped shelves and cleaning robots equipped with cleaning units are also examples of AMR. 

The shape and mechanism of the loading area can be customized to suit the needs of each site, and many manufacturers, from large companies to startups, are developing unique AMRs both in Japan and overseas. 

There is a similar device called an AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle), but what is the difference? AMR is a type of AGV. However, its guidance system is different. Within AGVs, the new generation of AGVs that can read the surrounding environment, make flexible decisions, and drive autonomously is called AMR. 

There are several types of guidance systems that determine the AGV’s route, such as the one that follows a magnetic tape attached to the floor, the laser guidance system that uses a laser and determines its own position based on the position of a reflector, and the guidance system that reads a two-dimensional barcode on the floor. Most AMR products use the “SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)” guidance method. 

In the next column of “Mastering the key terms in the world of robotics,” we will discuss the SLAM guidance method.

“KeiganALI” by Keigan, a type of AMR (from the article “今年度内にAMRの群制御システム実装へ/Keigan” published in robot digest on November 15, 2022)