The growth of e-commerce is one of the biggest drivers of efficiency in the automation and digitalisation of workflows. This places particular demands on internal transport: While speed, time pressure, and the physical strain on warehouse workers are increasing, the warehouse and production areas must be increasingly connected via automation with the maximum possible degree of flexibility. Goods must be available at the right time, at the right place, and in the correct quantity; changes should be possible at any time. This setup is ideal for digitalisation and its potential functionalities. Consequently, automated transport systems are being implemented with ever-greater frequency.

DTS, AMR – What’s the difference?

Driverless transport systems (DTS) play a key role in making intralogistical workflows more efficient. They are fast, have a high capacity, do not make mistakes, and thus continually boost productivity. However, as permanent components of warehouse infrastructure, DTS are usually confined to rails. Driverless transport systems consist of master controllers, data communication, charging stations, and usually also equipment for location determination. During the planning phase, it is necessary to define precisely where and how DTS are to be implemented so that the track layout and the rail network can be set up accordingly. Autonomous mobile robots (AMR) provide significant advantages in this regard. AMR enable variable route planning; therefore, the master controller can always recalculate the respective route of individual vehicles depending on the situation. A fleet of AMR is ideal for handling transport orders within the minimum time for the maximum number of orders to be processed. Researchers at Fraunhofer IPA are currently working on optimising the efficiency and robustness of vehicle fleet behaviour even further, including a joint, constant mapping, collaborative local path planning, and situation-dependent regulation of traffic situations.

Open Shuttle: autonomous, smart, and intelligent

Situation-dependent route and assignment planning, autonomous capabilities such as recognising obstacles, constant learning of the warehouse environment within the AMR fleet, and maximised safety precautions are the deciding positive factors of AMRs. And our Open Shuttles take all of this into account: The Open Shuttles are autonomous, intelligent transport robots that enable logistical processes to be structured in a flexible manner. They serve as a driverless on-demand solution, plan their routes intelligently, and manage all of their assignments independently. Open Shuttles can be adapted and configured to precisely suit your warehouse layout and your processes. We will gladly assist you with this.