Autonomous Mobile Robots and Their Integration into the Order-Picking Process

Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) are advanced mobile vehicles used in Intralogistics to transport a variety of payloads. AMRs have a certain degree of intelligence, and can make decisions autonomously when faced with new or unforeseen situations. They locate themselves in the environment, and, using advanced algorithms, calculate the route to the final destination autonomously. Due to their autonomous operation, they can usefully be applied as a transport system in the human-to-goods order-picking process. In this case, the order-picker and the AMR split the order-picking tasks. The order-picker carries out the picking of the goods according to the work order and places the goods on the AMR, which, in turn, takes care of transporting the goods to the dispatching point. This chapter introduces the reader to AMRs and their use in Intralogistics and order-picking processes. The chapter also includes a case study of the zone human-to-goods ordering process solution with AMRs` support. In this type of order-picking, order-pickers work only within selected zones, while AMRs work within the entire warehouse.