Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV)

Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGV) are designed to perform their operations without direct human guidance. They are used in a wide variety of industrial applications and can be laser, inertially or Cartesian-guided. An automatic guided vehicle system, (or AGVS) consists of one or more computer-controlled wheel based load carriers (normally battery-powered) that runs on the plant floor (or if outdoors on a paved area) without the need for an onboard operator or driver. AGVs have defined paths or areas within which or over which they can navigate. Navigation is achieved by any one of several means, including following a path defined by buried inductive wires, surface mounted magnetic or optical strips; or alternatively by way of inertial or laser guidance.  There are three main types of automatic guided vehicles, aside from custom or proprietary styles, unit load, forklift and tugger: Unit load automatic guided vehicles are powered, wheel based transport vehicles that carry a discrete load, such as an individual item (e.g. a large roll of paper, coil of steel or automobile engine) or items contained on a pallet or in a tote or similar temporary storage medium. AGVs operate under computer control without the need for human operators or drivers.