Before starting with Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR), let’s understand what autonomy is. The dictionary says that autonomy is the ability to make your own decisions. As humans, we can do things independently of any interference from anybody with autonomy. In robots, this is no different.
A robotic AMR,just like humans, can make its own decisions and execute the given tasks accordingly. Before going any further on Robotic AMRs, let’s begin with the standard concepts of Robotics.
What is an autonomous robot?
Autonomous robots are intelligent machines that can operate in an environment independently, performing the tasks assigned to them without any human intervention or control.
Such autonomy creates an opportunity to delegate dangerous, dirty, and dull tasks to the robots. This makes the scope to employ the workforce for more interesting, engaging, and valuable jobs.
Implementations of autonomous robots
Simply put, autonomous robots can do things on their own. The following areas are where Robotic AMRsare working with excellent efficacy.
Logistics
A great place for using a Robotic AMR is in the logistics industry. For example, autonomous robots can move around a warehouse performing menial tasks when the Human resource can work on the other more critical work.
E-commerce
Another place where Robotic AMR is proved to be very useful is for e-commerce apps. It is advantageous, from mobile manipulation to moving carts. AMRs are used for inventory management, order fulfillment, parcel sorting, raw materials transport and sorting, and returns handling.
Healthcare
As the scope and handling of AMRs are upgrading, several industries are gradually discovering innovative apps for robots. In recent times, the healthcare industry has been using Robotic AMR to handle several tasks.
It is being used to streamline the transport of medicines and supplies. This is very useful for units that deal with infectious diseases. This helps nurses from avoiding having frequent contact with patients in such units. Also, it is used for sanitation purposes.
Data Centers
A secured transport is an essential section of operations, especially in research facilities and data centers that have now built a new app for AMRs. Autonomous robots equipped with lock cabinets and boxes can be safely used in transporting materials of high value. It also ensures the proper custody protocol is followed. This also leads to accurate, instant, and easy access to the process and documentation.
Biotech
Due to the rapidly growing market for biopharmaceuticals, the Biotech companies are bound to abide by production processes that are strongly regulated.
This often leads to labor-intensive tasks. For instance, for any type of sampling and maintenance of the culture, the entire process involved is labor-intensive. Also, these processes require continuous monitoring 24×7. In these cases, Robotic AMRs can be used in order to keep control over valuable process inputs.
It also helps in maintaining a regular check on the tasks being performed. And finally, manage waste removal safely from the production line.
While the AMRs take care of such repetitive tasks, staff members can focus on matters that are more crucial in biopharmaceutical manufacturing. These tasks include continuous testing, keeping track of growth parameters, and making necessary changes when required throughout the processes.
To Conclude
A truly Robotic AMR can perceive its surrounding environment, make decisions on what it perceives about the environment, and then execute a task assigned to it. From the perspective of robots, these decisions include but are not limited to functions like starting, stopping, and moving around obstacles.