How does AGV work? | AGV supplier in delhi

Sometimes called self-guided vehicles or autonomous guided vehicles, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are the material handling systems or load carriers that travel autonomously throughout a warehouse, distribution center, or manufacturing facility, without an onboard operator or any driver. Precimotion is the best AGV supplier in delhi. All products (Servo planetary, Strainwave gearboxes, Six axis collaborative, Pick & place gantry robots) of Precimotion share some common traits and characteristics: customer-centric product design, innovation and cost-effectiveness, backed by robust after sales service support. AGV supplier in delhi

In this post, we will explore the various types of AGVs, how they work and their benefits.

Working:

AGVs are self-propelled vehicles with the movement guided by software and sensors. Most AGVs move along with the defined pathways, but as mentioned, AMRs typically have more advanced technology with dynamic navigation capabilities.

AGV navigation:

It may be guided using one or more of the following mechanisms:

Magnetic guide tape — some AGVs have magnetic sensors and follow a track using magnetic tape.

Wired navigation — some AGVs follow the wire paths embedded into the facility floor. The wire transmits a signal that the AGVs detect via an antenna or sensor.

Laser target navigation — with this method, the reflective tape is mounted on objects such as walls, fixed machines and poles. AGVs are equipped with a laser transmitter and a receiver. The lasers reflect off of the tape within the line of the sight and are used to calculate the object’s angle and distance from the AGV.

Inertial (gyroscopic) navigation — some AGVs are controlled by a computer system with the aid of the transponders embedded into the facility floor to verify that the AGV is on the proper course.

Vision guidance — No modification is required to the infrastructure for the vision-guided AGVs. Cameras record the features along with the route, and AGVs rely on these recorded features to navigate.

Geoguidance — like vision-guided AGVs, no infrastructure modifications are required for AGVs that use the geoguidance. Geoguided AGVs recognize the objects in their environment to establish their location in real-time to navigate throughout the facility.

LiDAR — LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is a sophisticated navigation technology utilizing the sensors that transmit laser pulses to measure the distance between the robot and objects in its environment. This data is compiled to create a 360-degree map of the environment, allowing the robots to navigate the facility and avoid obstacles without the need for any additional infrastructure. 6 River Systems uses LiDAR navigation technology to enable their AGVs to navigate a warehouse without requiring changes to the infrastructure as well as to adapt to new environments should the layout of a warehouse floor change.

AGV steering:

It is controlled by differential speed control, steered wheel control or a combination of the two:

Differential speed control — this is the most common type of steering control which is used by AGVs. It uses two independent drive wheels. Each drive wheel is driven at a different speed to turn. To go forward or backwards, two drives are driven at the same speed. The simplest steering control option for AGVs, differential speed control does not require additional steering motors or mechanisms.

Steered wheel control — this type of steering control is similar to the steering control in a car or truck. In steered wheel control, the drive wheel is the turning wheel. It is more precise than differential speed control and offers smoother turning. It is often used for the towing applications and may also be operator-controlled.

Combination steering — this is a combination of differential speed control and steered wheel controls. AGVs using combination steering have two independent steer/drive motors on the diagonal corners of the AGV and swiveling castors on the other two corners.

AGV traffic control:

Traffic control measures include zone control, collision avoidance or a mix of both:

Zone control — Simple to install and easy to expand, zone control is a commonly used traffic control method for AGVs. A wireless transmitter transmits signals in defined areas, and AGV contains a sensor that receives the signal and transmits it back to the transmitter. If the area is clear then a “clear” signal is sent that allows the AGV to enter or pass through the area. If another AGV is in the area then a “stop” signal is sent that alerts other AGVs attempting to enter that the area is not clear. In this case, waiting AGVs will stop and wait until the first AGV moves out of the zone and a “clear” signal is sent by the transmitter.

Collision avoidance — AGVs using collision avoidance zone control are equipped with the sensors that transmit a signal and wait for a reply to determine if an object is in front of it. These sensors may be sonic, which work like radar, or optical, which uses the infrared sensors. Both work in a similar manner.

Combination control — AGVs that use the combination control are equipped with both collison control sensors and zone control sensors in order to offer more robust collision prevention in all situations.