Issue 22 | 17.06.2024

Outdoor AGVs, once a frontier in automation, now stand at a crossroads between promise and practicality. The following article dives into the ongoing debate and explores whether these robots have achieved maturity or still face significant hurdles in real life applications:

Historical Context

• Existence Since 1980s: Outdoor AGVs have been around since the 1980s, initially used in industrial settings.
   
• Basic Early Models: Early AGVs were rudimentary and unreliable, primarily used for basic tasks.
   
• Industrial Setting: They were first deployed in industrial environments, towing goods along fixed paths.

Technological Evolution

• Modern Advancements: Significant advancements have been made in navigation and overall technology.
   
• Hybrid Navigation Systems: Modern AGVs use hybrid navigation systems combining GPS with visual or contour-based navigation.
   
• Infrastructure Needs: Reliable operation often requires Wi-Fi and structured outdoor environments for optimal performance.

Current Use Cases

• Airports: Are the early adopter industry for Outdoor AGVs. Their nature as private grounds with clearly separated traffic areas seem to be a major booster in the context. Use cases covered are mainly the transport of baggage in controlled, private grounds.
   
• Industrial Plants: Outdoor AGVs are still exotic in industrial settings. With first successful implementations being up and running, the trend seems to tend towards a wider applications. Use case covered are quite divers, going from outdoor stock handling to automation of Milkrun transports between different buildings. 
   

Technological Challenges

• Navigation Accuracy: Achieving precise navigation remains a challenge, requiring integration of multiple technologies.
   
• Weather Conditions: AGVs face difficulties with adverse weather conditions like snow and heavy rain.
   
• Lack of Standardization: There's a lack of standardized approaches; different technologies and methods are still being tested.
   

Potential for Breakthrough

• Near Maturity: The technology is approaching maturity, with potential for significant breakthroughs in outdoor AGV deployment.
   
• Need For Adopters: Testing in diverse environments is essential to validate reliability and performance as well as to foster the progress of technology.
   
• Collaboration Essential: Collaboration between industry and academia is critical to advancing outdoor AGV capabilities.
   

Business Case

• Cost Savings Potential: Outdoor AGVs offer potential cost savings, especially in favorable weather conditions.
   
• Manual Mode Availability: They can operate in manual mode during adverse conditions, enhancing operational flexibility.
   
• Regional Suitability: Best suited for regions with consistent weather conditions favorable to autonomous operations.
   

Conclusion:

Outdoor AGVs took a technological leap and are coming closer to become a mature technology. They however still face issues, especially with unfavorable weather conditions and navigation. New tech like hybrid navigation and smarter algorithms offer hope for better solutions. Us at Automation Awakenings believe that the collaboration between providers and early adopters in real life use-cases will be key to improve maturity and useability of Outdoor AGVs.