Mechatronics and robotics

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AUTOMATED GUIDED VEHICLES 
Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are mobile robots used to 
transport goods around large facilities, such as warehouses, container ports, 
or hospitals. They follow markers or wires in the floor and use vision or 
lasers.
The first AGV was brought to market in the 1950s by Barrett 
Electronics of Northbrook, Illinois. Early AGV-style robots were limited to 

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rather simple and repetitive tasks. Very little feedback or intelligence was 
required, therefore the robots needed only the most basic sensors. The 
limitations of these AGVs are that their paths are not easily altered and 
they cannot alter their paths if obstacles block them. If one AGV breaks 
down, it may stop the entire operation.
Over the years the technology has become more sophisticated and 
today automated vehicles are mainly laser navigated, e.g. LGV (Laser 
Guided Vehicle). In an automated process, LGVs are programmed to 
communicate with other robots to guarantee product is moved smoothly 
through the warehouse, whether it is being stored for future use or sent 
directly to shipping areas. Today, the LGV plays an important role in the 
design of new factories and warehouses, safely moving goods to their 
rightful destinations. 
Newer AGVs are designed for people-friendly workspaces. They 
navigate by recognizing natural features. 3D scanners or other means of 
sensing the environment in two or three dimensions help to eliminate 
errors in dead-reckoning calculations of the AGV’s current position. Some 
AGVs are able to operate in complex environments and perform non-
repetitive and non-sequential tasks such as transporting medications 
(drugs) in hospitals and goods in warehouses. For warehouses full of 
pallets AGVs require additional abilities. Only a few vision-guided robots 
currently are able to navigate reliably in such environments.