Science fiction films, books, and television have often featured humanoid robots doing superhero and supervillainesque things. In these creations, robots and machine intelligence have taken over the world, saved the day, and or been the main antagonist. Thankfully, none of this is likely to happen anytime soon, although humanoid robots will be more commonplace in the future.
Robots, however, specifically autonomous mobile robots (AMR) are utilized by industry all across the world. Companies such as Robotnik are putting a lot of work into research and development and have brought exciting new AMR robot products to market. They work in a number of industries and here’s a snapshot of where you might encounter one:
- Warehousing and logistics.
- Security
- Manufacturing
- Medical
- Military
- Exploration
As you can see, AMR robots are being used all the time. With this in mind, let’s take a deep dive into how they are used and what we can expect in the future.
Autonomous Mobile Robots for Lifting
Lifting heavy loads of up to 1000 Kg, even by forklift truck has risks. People can be run over and loads have been known to slip off the forks. Now, AMR robots are used to move heavy loads instead. You’ll find that better manufacturers build their robots to have different attachments that allow them to accomplish different tasks as per the needs of the business. Generally, the profile of this kind of robot is quite small to make it more versatile and as such, they tend to operate in an indoor environment.
AMR Robots for the Great Outdoors
Although being able to automate lifting operations in a factory or warehouse is fantastic, what do you do when you need to accomplish tasks outside? You have to overcome challenges of uneven terrain, ensure clearance between the body of the robot and the ground, and it has to be weather resistant and have built in obstacle recognition and navigation.
Cometh the hour cometh the AMR robot as it is now possible to use a base unit that has a high durability frame and suspension system allowing this kind of autonomous mobile robot to be used outdoors. Applications include but are not limited to:
- Research and development
- Agriculture
- Security or logistics
- Deliveries
Due to the versatility of this kind of robot it can be equipped with manipulation tasks or deliver heavy loads to wherever they are needed.
Some AMR robots of this nature can be teleoperated to allow the robot to be operated remotely like a drone. As such, robots of this nature can be used to support security operations or go into places which are dangerous for human beings.
Guided Robots with Multiple Uses
Some robots can be used to move quite heavy loads and can be guided manually thanks to beaming images to the controller. This also opens up the use of the AMR robot for security tasks. This means the security officer doesn’t have to put themselves in danger as the robot spots intruders rather than human beings encountering one while on patrol.
Robots for Human Transportation and Beyond
In today’s world robots that can transport people are now in operation. They can be controlled remotely or through their own navigation systems. This opens up robotic applications for security, transportation of load and people, and thanks to its self driving capability is often used for research into that branch of the technology.
The Future of Autonomous Mobile Robots
Although AMR Robots have been around since 1939 it is only in the last ten years that they have started to be used in mass, and achievements of the technology are clear to see. That said, R&D continues at a pace. With this in mind, what can we expect to see in the future?
Autonomous Rescue Robots
One aspect where robots are being used and development is driven forward at pace is in search and rescue. To give you an example, search and rescue services now use AMR robots to go into dangerous places such as when there is a release of toxic gasses. The robot can detect the presence of harmful gas and maintain communication with its human operators.
This safeguards the life of the rescuers and allows them to make better life saving decisions.
Agriculture
Robots are deployed on farms throughout the world. They effectively spray crops or take soil samples as they are able to recognize different crops ensuring that the right ones receive the right spray. Work is continuing in this area allowing the mobile AMR robot to be able to carry out a multitude of tasks day in day out. This includes harvesting crops, spraying crops, taking soil samples, and whatever is needed to be done for the day.
The robot invasion has already begun but the chances are you did not know this. There is no need to panic as the robots will help us not hinder us, and as time marches on, robots will become part of your everyday life.
You may even have one, mowing your lawn or doing the dishes.