Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) offer great potential for automating in-house transportation processes, especially for companies with established infrastructures and an increasing shortage of skilled workers. However, a clear understanding of the technological basics is a prerequisite for a successful introduction in these brownfield environments. The distinction between key terms, such as Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) and AMR, has not yet been clearly defined either in practice or in science. This white paper highlights these ambiguities and helps to clarify the terminology. It also provides an overview of current planning approaches from research and practice and identifies socio-technical challenges in brownfield environments. The insights gained form the basis for the FlexTools project, which is developing practice-oriented modules to provide companies with targeted support for the structured introduction and integration of AMR.

You can download the document here:
http://hdl.handle.net/2003/43961

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