BlueBotics

How Does YOUR Organization Use AGVs and AMRs Today❔ Tell our friends at Logistics Business magazine and win a 100 GBP Amazon voucher! 💰 $ 👉 Head over to https://hubs.la/Q02wwJtG0 to take part. Last year we ran our first AGV/AMR Usage Survey with the support of Logistics Business' expert team. And now we're doing it again... We are looking to learn: 💡 What automated vehicles your company uses today (or not) 💡 What you plan to use in future 💡 What types of AGVs and AMRs you are running 💡 The size of your fleet 💡 How you measure ROI 💡 And much more... ✅ If you have a few minutes free to get involved, we would love to hear from you. Visit: https://hubs.la/Q02wwJtG0 to take part 💡 Curious to read the full report of last year's survey? Visit: https://hubs.la/Q02wwJKB0

3 Questions to Ask a Vehicle Navigation Supplier About Product Integration The process of integrating a supplier’s navigation technology into your vehicle can be a challenge, affecting your team’s workload, your project’s budget and the stress levels of everyone concerned. Get to the heart of their integration support offer with these three questions: 1️⃣ How do we integrate your navigation system into our vehicle? 📑 A well-defined, multi-step integration process suggests a company has multiple customers and deep, valuable experience. Does the supplier have that and can they talk you through it? 👨💻 Find out what skills are needed for this integration from your side. Do you have these skills in your team? If you are missing some integration (or other vehicle development) skillsets, such as PLC programming or in-depth knowledge of AGV safety, does the navigation supplier offer additional support to help you with these? 2️⃣ What changes will we need to make to our existing vehicle to integrate your technology? 🤖 If your company already produces line following #AGVs, such as those that follow magnetic tape, what is needed in order to upgrade these? For example, natural navigation may require a vehicle’s traction or steering encoders to be upgraded to models with a higher resolution. While laser triangulation will require a LiDAR sensor to be installed at the top of the vehicle. ✔️ If you are automating a manual vehicle, this may not even support automatization. Ask the navigation supplier to advise you on this. Honest explanations about what will work, and what won’t, should be the basis for a long-term, successful relationship built on trust. 3️⃣ How will you support us through the integration process? 🚀 As you progress through the integration, how closely will your team be supported? The last thing you need is to be surprised by a lack of in-depth knowledge or help during this crucial process. So, take the time now to understand exactly how your navigation supplier will help you and the services they will provide (or not) to help keep your project on track. ✔️ At BlueBotics, we support our customers closely through the entire development process – from initial pre-contract discussions and project kick-off meeting to the integration of ANT into your vehicle, right through to its commercial launch. As part of our initial Integration Package, you receive on-site support as standard, both during the integration of ANT into your vehicle and again at your customer’s site the first time this vehicle is commissioned. Keep reading - you can find 14 other essential questions to ask vehicle navigation suppliers on our blog: https://hubs.la/Q02NPjs_0

What's The Difference Between Manual, Automated, and Hybrid Forklifts - And Why Does it Matter? From the shop floor, it may seem like there's not a lot of difference between these vehicles. After all, they’re all #IndustrialVehicles which can move pallets autonomously. But to vehicle makers and integrators, the distinctions are vital as they affect how it is certified. Here are some quick definitions: 👷 A manual #forklift is an industrial vehicle used to move pallets. Manual forklifts are driven by a worker, and are powered, so are distinct from a human-powered pallet jack. Manual forklifts are also called #liftTrucks, #forkTrucks, or #forkliftTrucks. 🤖 Forked #AGVs are vehicles which have been created from the ground up as fully automated vehicles designed to move pallets. While they can be shifted manually from one place to another (often with a joystick), this is not a typical part of a workflow, and they do not have space for a human driver. 🛠️ An automated forklift is a manual forklift which has been altered to navigate autonomously. It functions in the same way as a forked AGV, and although it may still have a seat and steering wheel, it cannot typically be used as a manual forklift. Automated forklifts are generally less expensive than forked AGVs, because they are produces in higher volume; however, they can be difficult to customize for specific applications. Both automated forklifts and forked AGVs are also referred to as automatic/automated guided forklifts (#AGFs), #driverlessForklifts, robot/robotic lift trucks, or automated lift trucks. 🤖👷 Hybrid forklifts are vehicles which can both navigate autonomously, and be driven manually when required. Typically, these vehicles are not designed as hybrids from the ground up, but are manual vehicles which have been automated. Read more (and learn about forklift certification requirements): https://hubs.la/Q02NP6sY0 #Innovation #Robots #Robotics #Industry40 #SmartManufacturing #Logistics #SupplyChain #MaterialHandling #WarehouseAutomation #TechInnovation #IndustrialAutomation #FutureOfWork

5 Business Reasons to Develop Automated Forklifts - Wondering if you should add automated vehicles to your portfolio? Here's 5 key reasons why: 1️⃣ 📈 Retain your share of an evolving market The data is clear: the industrial vehicle market is moving ever more quickly towards #automation. If you choose not to supplement your offer and automate forklifts, in future even brand-loyal clients are likely to start looking elsewhere. 2️⃣ 🤝Attract new customers Sales of so-called automated guided #forklifts (#AGFs) are not only driven by customers looking to replace their manual vehicles. Additional revenue streams are also being generated through the opening of new fully automated greenfield plants and #logistics or #distribution centers. 3️⃣ ⚙️ Improve #efficiency If you have developed automated forklifts, you can use and gain the benefits of automated forklifts. By automating your internal processes with your own AGVs – such as picking and dropping in your warehouse, or moving materials from station to station on the shopfloor – you can gain the efficiency benefits #AGVs are known for, produce your own products at lower overall cost, and potentially scale up your production, for example by moving to 24/7 operation 4️⃣ 👨💻 Entice high-level talent Mobile #robotics is an attractive field for new high-caliber graduates, perhaps more so than working on manual vehicles. Therefore, if you add #automatedForklifts to your roadmap you can expect to widen your talent base, bringing in valuable new skillsets and perspectives. 5️⃣🚀 Modernize your brand Perception matters. Lift truck suppliers without automated forklifts can be seen as ‘old school’ or outdated. If your business is able to offer both manual and automated vehicles, this will only strengthen your brand perception – ensuring your organization is perceived as modern and future-facing, while upholding its reputation as a longstanding, highly respected vehicle supplier. Keep reading: https://hubs.la/Q02h-_sX0

Is It SLAM Navigation? Autonomous navigation technology can be confusing. In this blog post, we dispel the most common myths about BlueBotics’ ANT navigation technology, starting with that SLAM question… Read now: https://hubs.la/Q02N7C0G0 #Automation #Robotics #ANTnavigation #ANTdriven #SLAM #SLAMnavigation #Innovation

Why Automate? If you're a vehicle manufacturer, why add #automation? After all, industrial vehicles such as lift trucks and tow tractors are based on years or decades of R&D, and vehicle automation is a big investment. “While most material handling is still manual, in reality today there is a clear trend towards automation,” says BlueBotics CEO, Nicola Tomatis. In other words, automate now to remain competitive in the long term: “Someone has to think about automating the vehicles for the future.” Shouldn’t that be your company, rather than your competitors? 🚀 Read our top 3 tips for successful vehicle automation: https://hubs.ly/Q02N7lJ30 #Innovation #Robotics #Robots #IndustrialAutomation #Logistics #AGV #AMR #Forklifts #ANTdriven

We are delighted to announce that BlueBotics has achieved the ISO 9001:2015 certification for its quality management systems. Achieving ISO 9001 certification demonstrates that we have robust and defined procedures in place in all our business areas, and that our quality management system is based upon the twin goals of continuous improvement and customer satisfaction. In other words, quality and continuous improvement are at the heart of everything we do. We continuously challenge ourselves to improve our services in order to meet, or ideally exceed, the needs and expectations of our customers, while always ensuring we fully comply with any related regulations and specifications. Learn more: https://hubs.la/Q02MHXFy0

[In Case You Missed It] Upgrade to Virtual Line Following with ANT localization+ Natural Navigation System. Watch to discover how ANT localization+ enables a vehicle to follow a virtual line using ANT natural feature navigation, effectively replacing the antenna used to follow physical lines such as magnetic tape, inductive wire, tags etc. Watch the video: https://hubs.la/Q02Mlj6k0 #Automation #Robotics #Innovation #AGVs #AMRs #AutomatedVehicles

💡Discover ANT server (Part 1) - How does ANT server work? Working off the site map and routes created in our ANT lab configuration software, ANT server dispatches missions to whichever robot is the most efficient choice. This includes: ✅Making sure the vehicle can fit in the space available ✅Ensuring it can carry the payload requested. 👉 To learn more, watch the full video here: https://hubs.la/Q02Mlw5Z0 👈 #Robotics #Innovation #Automation #ANTdriven #AGV #AMR

5 Business Reasons to Develop Automated Forklifts - Wondering if you should add automated vehicles to your portfolio? Here's 5 key reasons why: 1️⃣ 📈 Retain your share of an evolving market The data is clear: the industrial vehicle market is moving ever more quickly towards #automation. If you choose not to supplement your offer and automate forklifts, in future even brand-loyal clients are likely to start looking elsewhere. 2️⃣ 🤝Attract new customers Sales of so-called automated guided #forklifts (#AGFs) are not only driven by customers looking to replace their manual vehicles. Additional revenue streams are also being generated through the opening of new fully automated greenfield plants and #logistics or #distribution centers. 3️⃣ ⚙️ Improve #efficiency If you have developed automated forklifts, you can use and gain the benefits of automated forklifts. By automating your internal processes with your own AGVs – such as picking and dropping in your warehouse, or moving materials from station to station on the shopfloor – you can gain the efficiency benefits #AGVs are known for, produce your own products at lower overall cost, and potentially scale up your production, for example by moving to 24/7 operation 4️⃣ 👨💻 Entice high-level talent Mobile #robotics is an attractive field for new high-caliber graduates, perhaps more so than working on manual vehicles. Therefore, if you add #automatedForklifts to your roadmap you can expect to widen your talent base, bringing in valuable new skillsets and perspectives. 5️⃣🚀 Modernize your brand Perception matters. Lift truck suppliers without automated forklifts can be seen as ‘old school’ or outdated. If your business is able to offer both manual and automated vehicles, this will only strengthen your brand perception – ensuring your organization is perceived as modern and future-facing, while upholding its reputation as a longstanding, highly respected vehicle supplier. Keep reading: https://hubs.la/Q02MlpgD0