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Vehicle Manufacturers – particularly
those in the AGV space – are now able
to further strengthen their offering
thanks to a range of complementary
innovative modular technologies from
Guidance Automation, a Leicester-
based (UK) company.
‘Nucleus’ is the firm’s suite of modular
technologies, which encompasses a
mix of hardware, software, processors
and supporting services and which
they say offers significant added
value for vehicle manufacturers. The
solutions are intended to enable their
end-users to automate their operating
environment in terms of the location,
control and safe movement of robotic
vehicles.
Where the modular product really
makes a difference is in the area
of helping end-users overcome
historically complex challenges. This
is particularly demonstrated where an
operation spans mixed environments.
It is achieved by Nucleus’ ability to
utilise a combination of laser scanners
and targets for large operational
areas, to use camera-based or laser
scanner technology for a variety
Furthering Innovation
of environments as well as floor-
based mapping with camera-based
technology. By being able to offer any
combination of these – depending on
the end-user requirement – vehicle
manufacturers are now able to meet
a broader remit from an increasingly
demanding market whilst adding a
competitive edge amongst peers.
Taking one example scenario: in
open planned warehousing, laser
scanner navigation will accurately
measure vehicle location. However
as the warehouse fills with goods,
targets become obscured. Floor-based
mapping navigation then automatically
takes over and enables vehicle
position to be measured without
targets. Nucleus provides integration
of all sensor data to provide vehicle
manufacturers with a seamless solution
for their end-clients.
Added to this, Nucleus also features
vehicle controllers and scheduling
software. Firstly, kingpiN is a versatile,
compact and robust vehicle controller
which is easy to integrate into new
and existing vehicles, while moNitrav
is a suite of scheduling software which
provides control and accountability
for the order of efficient movement of
robotic/autonomous vehicle around a
given operating environment.
“Traditionally if you wanted to buy an
AGV solution, you had to approach a
specific supplier of this type of vehicle,
usually manufactured to your specific
requirements, all of which made them
very expensive with many years to
achieve a return on investment,” says
Guidance Automation MD Paul Rivers.
“Now it is possible for manufacturers
of electric vehicles, who can be
producing in high volume, to add a
small number of components to their
vehicles which can turn them into a
fully autonomous version of the same
product or even dual use, manual one
minute, automated the next. With
our help, this process is easy and is
reducing the costs of these vehicles
and extending the markets into which
these technologies are moving. The
growth and competitiveness of this
industry is fierce”.
Adding specialist-built components to an existing product can make a huge difference to a
traditional, purpose-built AGV.
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Logistics Business Magazine | February 2016
AGV TECHNOLOGY