Guide To Warehouse Robots

Types of warehouse robots use, navigation & more.

More warehouses are adopting a type of robotics technology than ever before. The warehouse robotics market was valued at $2.28 billion in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 11.8% between 2017 and 2022.

There are several types of warehouse robots in logistics offering varying functionality, allowing warehouses to select robotics solutions that aid with various processes. Warehouse operators should understand the available options to implement the right technologies to suit the warehouse’s needs. We’ve created this guide to provide an overview of the warehouse robotics market, the types of warehouse robots, their functions, use cases, and other information about what warehouse operators need to know to make informed technology investments.

Types of warehouse robots

The warehouse robotics industry includes several types of warehouse robots, serving a variety of purposes and functions such as order picking and moving inventory throughout the warehouse.

Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) - Such as self-driving forklifts transport inventory from one location to another within the warehouse. AGVs rely on tracks or magnetic strips placed in planned travel paths, sometimes paired with sensors of camera vision technology to avoid obstacles.

Automated Guided Carts (AGCs) - AGCs and AGVs are sometimes grouped in the same category. The main difference is that AGCs carry smaller loads.

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) - Autonomous mobile robots are similar to AGVs and AGCs in that they transport inventory and materials throughout a warehouse autonomously. Unlike AGCs and AGVs, which travel fixed routes guided by tracks or magnetic strips, AMRs rely on maps and sensors to navigate more flexible routes by interpreting the environment. Autonomous inventory robots are one type of autonomous mobile robot. When used with RFID-tagged equipment and items, autonomous inventory robots conduct inventory counts are pre-determined times or intervals. This category also includes collaborative mobile robots, which augment the work of humans by guiding associates through tasks.

Warehouse robots are also classified by payload capacity. Depending on the nature of the industry and the warehouse’s needs, warehouse robots with a certain payload capacity are often used more frequently in some industries than others. Warehouse robots in the 0.5kg to 10kg range had the largest share of the warehouse robotics market in 2016 and are expected to grow at the highest rate during the market and market’s 2017 to 2022 forecast period.

Industries that use warehouse robots.

Warehouses spanning nearly every industry use warehouse robots, although warehouses in some industries rely on robotics more than those in other industries. Overall, growth in warehouse robotics adoption is driven by the “Growing e-commerce industry, need for enhanced quality and reliability in warehouse operations, active funding from venture capitalists for startup robotics companies, and increasing adoption of warehouse robotics by small and medium-sized enterprises. Markets & Markets predicts that the warehouse robotics market in the food and beverages industry will continue to grow at a high rate through the year 2022.

There’s also high demand for warehouse robots in the automotive industry, particularly the automotive spare parts sector. In contrast to the e-commerce food and beverages sector, automotive companies often invest in robots with heavier payload capacities to handle the spare parts that are too heavy for human workers to manage. By leveraging warehouse robots, automotive companies speed up the delivery of spare parts and increase their overall business productivity.

Other industries that use warehouse robots include”

Electrical and electronics

Metal and machinery

Chemical, rubber, and plastic

Pharmaceuticals

Apparel

Textiles

paper and printing.

How warehouse robots navigate the warehouse

Laser-based navigation

Several robot navigation systems use laser guidance in some form, such as label-based navigation, which uses 3D laser range finders for localization and objects recognition. In other cases, robots rely on laser sensors entirely to create a three-dimensional map of the environment. These systems are typically coupled with algorithms in embedded processors or microcontrollers.