Helper technologies for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) on the market now

There is no question that the market for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) is heating up tremendously. In fact, according to a study by Grandview Research (San Francisco, study is at https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/autonomous-mobile-robots-market), the market for AMRs will grow at a clip of 15.5% CAGR from now until 2030. The market, now worth about $3.5 billion USD, will grow to $9.6 billion USD in seven years, according to the study.

AMRs will change along the way. Today, most AMRs are sold with lead/acid batteries. In the future, forecasters expect lithium-ion batteries to supplant lead ones because of the ability to charge more quickly while boasting a longer total lifespan.

Two other things are abetting the success of AMRs: the charging method, and capacity addition.

The most exciting trend in charging AMRs is using Wi-Fi to do it. A company called Wiferion (U.S. headquarters is in Chicago, www.wiferion.com/us) has several ways to do this. A unit is connected to the AMR, and then another unit is put into a plate on the wall. Wirelessly, through induction (thank you Nikola Tesla), the batteries are charged. Alternatively, a unit is installed on the bottom of the AMR, and another unit is placed into the floor. In the latter scenario, the AMR can drive to the spot of the Wiferion unit, charge, and move on when that task is complete. One could imagine a charging area like railroad sidings where all the AMRs come at the end of the day.

A similar solution comes from a company called Conductix (www.conductix.us, with U.S. headquarters in Omaha). Conductix has been in the inductive charging arena for a while, and incidentally has a product line that includes the opposite operation—using power lines to communicate.

The other advancement for AMRs is all about muscle. Among others, a company called ROEQ (Vissenbjerg, Denmark, www.roeq.dk) makes a cart that fits snugly around a few chosen brands and models of AMRs. Think of it as a sort of rolling exoskeleton that makes the AMR much stronger (one of these gives its host AMR a payload of 1,500 kg or a little over 3,300 lbs.).

In addition to making the robots beefier in capacity, other offerings from ROEQ put lifters and rollers up top, in order to facilitate moving the load from one place to the next. The lifters make it possible to easily move objects to or from surfaces with different heights. This is particularly important when shifting loads between conveyor, and say, the shipping area, or directly to a transfer area on the shop floor. Optional rollers make it very easy to move heavy loads as well.

As if the momentum of AMRs was not enough, these helping technologies will only accelerate the acceptance of these useful and autonomous tools. Like many young and exciting markets, the AMR market is moving quickly and many other technologies are springing up to meet the needs of tomorrow’s customers.

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