AGVs vs. AMRs: Debunking the Myths

Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) or Driverless, Automatic Guided Industrial Vehicles, as they are officially labeled by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) have long been recognized as a successful solution to automatically move material to, from, and through manufacturing facilities, warehouses, distribution centers, and everywhere in-between. One of the most apparent values of AGVs is that they replace nonvalue-added repetitive material movement.

Over the past few years, a new name began appearing: AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot). As the new kid on the block, AMRs have received a lot of attention, claiming to be the next  great thing in automatic, driverless mobile vehicles/robots (but not AGVs).

The reality is that AMRs are a subset of AGVs focused on a specific navigation technology, physical size/payload capabilities, environment, and routing abilities. Misinformation about AMRs paints a picture of AGVs as antiquated technology and thus obsolete.

This white paper dispels the myths that claim AMRs to be superior to AGVs.