Mobile Robotics Week highlights state of the market

On Nov 3, 2021

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Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are one of the exciting technologies in the robotics and automation sector. AMR deployments for warehouse and industrial operations are surging, and this growth is expected to increase for the foreseeable future. To illustrate, market research firm Interact Analysis research predicts that the number of AMR shipments will increase to over 530,000 in 2024, bringing the total number in operation to more than 1.1 million, a significant increase over the 36,000 AMRs in use at the end of 2019.

While AMRs are experiencing significant acceptance in warehouses and manufacturing facilities, the technology is far from mainstream. In addition, new classes of AMRs and enabling technologies continue to come to market, often at a bewildering pace.

For companies that are evaluating AMRs, as well as firms that have deployed AMRs previously, the selection and implementation of AMR solutions can be difficult and fraught with uncertainty. Mistakes can be costly, but inaction will all but guarantee suboptimal industrial performance (or worse).

Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week was designed to address these challenges and alleviate the burden of AMR selection, adoption and management. Individual sessions in the program, delivered live online throughout the week or available on demand, will provide informed, authoritative insights and recommendations, delivered by the leading providers of AMR solutions. Also presenting are representatives of companies that have met the AMR adoption challenge and are now reaping the benefits of flexible automation enabled by intelligent, mobile robotics systems.

A detailed agenda can be found below. Interested attendees can register here for free.

Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots
November 16, 2021

In this Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week session designed for those new to autonomous mobile robotics systems, attendees will be provided with an introduction to AMRs and enabling technologies, as well as a review of mobile robotics system types and common applications for which they are used. Case studies will be provided to illustrate the many ways AMRs are being utilized to flexibly automate many manufacturing, logistics and other industrial operations.

AMR Types and Demand Drivers
AMR Features and Capabilities
Representative Products
Case Studies
Safety and Standards
New Enablers
What’s Next

Speakers
Callie Moriarty, Solutions Executive, 6 River Systems
Greg Doppler, President, Cornerstone Specialty Wood Products

Beyond the Robot: What Makes An AMR Implementation Successful
November 16, 2021

There are several factors to consider when implementing autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) into a facility. Obvious factors, such as payload capacity, speed and agility, and battery life are typically top of mind but are many other components to consider. A successful implementation requires a tight customer engagement to understand objectives and review designs to deploy customized solutions that maximize ROI objectives. In this Autonomous Mobile Robots Week Roundtable discussion, OTTO Motors, goes beyond the physical robot and discusses the key components that are often overlooked when selecting and implementing an AMR solution. OTTO will share lessons learned from customer deployments, helpful tips and important decision criteria so that your AMR implementation is successful the first time and drives valuable results for your organization

Speaker
Jay Judkowitz, VP, Product, OTTO Motors

Mobile Robots in Manufacturing Environments: Recent Case Studies
November 17, 2021

Logistics centers are aggressively adopting AMRs to support fulfillment operations. But other types of industry sectors, too, can benefit from the smart, flexible automation that AMRs provide. Case in point, manufacturing facilities where the movement of objects and material within warehouse environments.

For many manufacturing considering AMRs, questions remain… are they productive as advertised, are they cost effective, can they be integrated with other automation technology, can they be scaled? In this Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week roundtable session, a series of case studies of AMR installations in manufacturing environments will provide answers to these questions (and more).

Speaker
Jonathan Chang, Director, Global Expansion, ForwardX Robotics

Autonomous Mobile Robots: Scaling from Pilots to Fleets
November 17, 2021

Commercial class autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are widely available at this time for use in indoor environments, both as dedicated solutions for specific applications, and as “open”, customizable platforms designed to serve a variety of needs. These systems autonomously navigate operational environments while carrying some type of payload or sensor package suitable to their application.

At this time, there exists a rapidly growing number of companies who have adopted autonomous mobile robots in their warehouses and distribution centers, where they have delivered real business value as an efficient, robust and flexible solution for many applications. Many of these firms deployed AMRs on a trial or project basis, and are now considering more strategic, scaled rollouts. For non-adopters, too, the issue of scaling AMRs from pilot projects to autonomous fleets is a key concern. In this In this Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week roundtable discussion, attendees with learn from solutions providers and industry experts about critical AMR scaling challenges and solutions. Topics include:

Integration with existing infrastructure
Interoperation with existing automation processes
Configuration and deployment
Fleet management and pick optimization
Safety, security and control
Failover and intervention management
Monitoring, auditing and analytics

Speaker
Matt Charles, Sales Director, Midwest & Canada, Mobile Industrial Robots

Selection Criteria for Autonomous Mobile Robots
November 18, 2021

While there has been much discussion about autonomous mobile robots for industrial work, the technology is still in the relatively early stages of adoption. The systems differ on their approaches for common applications, as well as the business and service models employed by the companies offering them. So too, AMR offerings utilize different enabling technologies and methods to perform their tasks. Issues related to deployment, integration and scalability also come into play. Taken together, these issues (and more) make evaluating mobile systems problematic, a situation that is exacerbated by rapid, ongoing technological innovation.

In this Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week session, attendees will come to understand the most critical differentiators among AMR offerings, as well as their suitability for different application classes. Topic areas covered will include:

Mapping and Navigation
Communication and Security
Power and Power Management
Fleet Management and Control
Example Use Cases

Speaker
Steve Branch, Sr. Director Sales Engineering, Locus Robotics

Safety and Standards for Autonomous Mobile Robots
November 18, 2021

To increase the efficiency of their operations while simultaneously reducing costs, forward thinking companies have adopted AMRs to automate the movement of materials and goods environments. Another key feature of AMRs is their ability to operate safely in peopled, in dynamic environments. To ensure high levels of safe operation, safety standards have been put in place. But the standards can be complex, and they vary from location to location. In addition, there are issues not addressed by formal standards. In this session, a panel of leading robotics safety experts will review most critical issues for the safe operation of autonomous mobile robots, including standards efforts, risk assessments, best practices and safety technologies.

Speakers
Nathan Bivans, Chief Technology Officer, FORT Robotics
Sam Visalli, Design Engineer, Embedded Processing, Texas Instruments
Tom Ryden, Executive Director, MassRobotics

Cloud Based Fleet Management for Autonomous Mobile Robots
November 19, 2021

AMRs have proven themselves in the field, providing real business value for delivery, material transportation, remote sensing, and other applications on the factory floor, in warehouses and distribution centers, as well as in public places such as airports and retail stores. With this success, AMR deployments have increased rapidly, with early pilot projects giving way to deployments of multi-robot systems, and now onto AMR fleets. To ensure that collections of autonomous systems operate cooperatively, efficiently and safely, it is critical that fleet management technology be adopted and utilized. In this Autonomous Mobile Robotics Week session, attendees with learn how cloud-based fleet management solutions provide support for AMR monitoring, control, scheduling, simulation, and optimization, and by doing so reduce overall system costs, increase robustness and enhance safe operation.

Speakers
InOrbit

Precise Motor Control Considerations for Autonomous Mobile Robot Systems
November 19, 2021

What types of robots are dominating the design engineering minds of today, and what subsystems are needed to bring them to life? Mobile robots require the ability to move autonomously which is enabled with precise motor control. At the same time, designers are facing the challenge of adding more safety features to allow them to move and collaborate with humans.

Attendees of this webinar will learn :

Different types of mobile robots in an industrial environment
To understand the motor drives subsystem enabling robot movement
Explore standards, such as ISO 3691-4 related to mobile robotics functional safety considerations

Speakers
Kristen Nørgård Mogensen, System Engineer, Industrial Robotics, Texas Instruments

Thank you to all the sponsors who have made Mobile Robotics Robotics Week possible.

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