Real-time expert systems technology helps robots plan and navigate their way around building obstacles.
Robots are ideal for transporting goods around factories.
Such robots therefore depend totally on the physical configuration of wires within the building. The resulting lack of flexibility is a real problem for plant managers wanting to move or purchase production equipment. Moreover, time and money constraints often oblige companies to rely on traditional methods, due to the complexity of preparing an AGV's configuration. An array of low-cost sensors, which provide data on the AGV's position and the presence of obstacles, allow it to choose the best way to perform a task. Any changes in building layout or production lines may be accommodated simply by updating the robot's configuration file.