What are Autonomous Mobile Robots?

Autonomous Mobile Robots: What Are They?

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are advanced robotic systems designed to move materials within various environments, such as warehouses, manufacturing facilities and distribution centers, with little or without the need for human intervention.

Key Features of AMRs Can Include:

1. Navigation and Mapping: AMRs use advanced sensors and software to navigate their environment. This is helpful in planning optimal paths to transport goods.
2. Safety: Equipped with various safety features, such as obstacle detection and avoidance, AMRs can operate safely alongside human workers and other machinery.
3. Scalability: These robots can be easily integrated into existing workflows and scaled up or down based on the operational needs of the business.
4. Interoperability: AMRs are designed to work seamlessly with other technologies, such as Warehouse Management Systems (WMS), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems and other automation solutions.
5. Flexibility: They can be programmed for various tasks, from simple material transport to more complex functions like fulfillment.
6. Efficiency: By automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks, AMRs help reduce labor costs, minimize errors and increase throughput.

AMRs are a key component of modern automation solutions, aimed at optimizing the flow of goods and materials within industrial and commercial environments.

How Can with Autonomous Mobile Robots Help Meet Evolving Market Demands?

Robotics Automation helps manufacturing and warehouse facilities boost efficiency when it comes to material movement and fulfillment operations by automating and orchestrating workflows. Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) can integrate into, or replace, fixed automation systems or the manual movement between workstations — optimizing floor space and offering flexibility to better utilize labor resources.

AMRs can help power productivity by freeing up your workforce and workspace through flexible, easily deployed intelligent solutions for mission-critical tasks. For example, in a busy warehouse, AMRs can autonomously transport inventory from storage to shipping areas, allowing human workers to focus on more complex tasks like quality control and customer service.

Can AMRs Reduce the Impact of Workforce Shortages While Answering Increased Customer Demand?

When properly implemented, Robotics Automation AMRs can replace manual material movement, which allows staff to focus on more complex and value-added tasks. This shift helps increase productivity, efficiency and throughput — negating many shortages and meeting higher customer demand.

In fulfillment operations, a cloud-based software designed to manage and optimize autonomous mobile robots can be a powerful tool for businesses looking to leverage robotics automation to enhance their operations and improve automation workflows. By having comprehensive control and insights into AMR operations, it can help improve overall efficiency, reduce downtime and increase productivity. Zebra Symmetry Fulfillment offers a comprehensive solution to increase worker productivity and reduce cost per unit. By ensuring efficient movement of both workers and robots by orchestrating the path of a picker with a team of robots for a directed workflow, throughput throughout the picking operation is maximized.

How Can AMRs Be Used To Free Up Floor Space Within a Facility?

Robotics Automation AMRs are often used to replace traditional fixed conveyor systems, eliminating linear bottlenecks and freeing up valuable floor space for additional workstations, inventory or storage. This allows for better use of a facility’s footprint and potential expansion within an existing facility.

How Do Robotics Automation AMRs Enhance Productivity and Reduce Costs Within a System?

By automating the movement of materials and reducing the need for manual handling, Robotics Automation AMRs can help increase productivity and throughput. Additionally, through optimized workforce utilization and reduced downtime, they can lead to significant overall cost savings.

Although many variables can impact your payback time, you might be able to achieve return on investment (ROI) faster than you think. One example we recently calculated could pay for itself in less than two months.

Can AMRs Help Me Retain Workers?

They frequently do. In fact, many workers welcome the introduction of AMRs to handle the walking of materials to the next workstation. This allows those workers to shift their focus toward the higher-value activities that drive productivity and job satisfaction.

Can AMRs Provide Flexibility and Adaptability in Manufacturing Environments?

AMRs can easily adapt to changing environments, scale with operational needs and replace traditional fixed conveyance systems. Their flexibility frees up floor space and eliminates costly linear bottlenecks.

What Are the Long-Term Benefits of Integrating Robotics Automation AMRs Into Your Operations?

Long-term benefits of incorporating Robotics Automation AMRs include higher throughput, streamlined workflows, reduced bottlenecks, increased productivity and a shift in worker focus toward more complex, value-added tasks. In addition, facilities optimize floor space and labor.

What Are the Primary Benefits of Using Zebra Robotics Automation AMRs?

Zebra Robotics Automation’s robust, cloud-based portfolio features Zebra AMRs and Symmetry™ software, which help new and existing operations to increase throughput and decrease dependency on manual transport or fixed automation through four factors:

1. Resource utilization
2. Flexibility
3. Adaptability
4. Scalability

Designed to navigate and operate independently in both manufacturing and warehouse environments, our AMRs use sophisticated sensors and cloud-based software to travel dynamic routes, avoid obstacles and adapt to changes as needed — all without human intervention.

This means an operation can better utilize their workforce elsewhere or on higher-skill tasks. Ultimately, that allows for optimized use of space, better labor utilization and cost savings.

What Steps Are Needed To Properly Integrate AMRs Into an Operation?

Integrating AMRs into an operation involves a series of well-coordinated steps to ensure smooth adoption, efficiency and safety. It is important to identify key objects and determine the specific tasks that the AMRs need to perform. This could include material transport, picking, etc. It is also important to review all existing workflows. This will help identify bottlenecks and areas where AMRs can add value. Another important consideration is the environment. It is essential to look at both the physical environment and the technical infrastructure. Assess the facility’s layout, obstacles, potential hazards, as well as assess the connectivity, charging stations and existing systems.

If you or your operation are considering automation for a material movement or fulfillment solution, Zebra Robotics Automation is ready to help. Our Robotics Specialist team can partner with you to identify opportunities within a facility to adapt, overcome or eliminate existing challenges. From there, our Solutions Design team will develop a workflow solution that can meet your needs and walk you through implementation.

Contact our Robotics Specialists to talk about your needs.