The prototypes of automated guided vehicle based on bluebotics autonomous navigation technology

Abstract

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) refers to an automatic transportation system that is used to move material or object horizontally. ANT (Autonomous Navigation Technology) developed by BlueBotics is a controller which can be installed to any customizable AGV. The purpose of this research is to build prototypes of AGV based on ANT and to test its mechanical design and odometry performance. The prototype consists of ANT Lite+ control unit, DC motor and driver, LIDAR sensor, transmission system, and the mechanical frame part. The test results show that the first AGV prototype performs poor quality of odometry and produces some issues related to the excessive vibration and electrical sparks. After some improvements, the second prototype has better quality of mechanical, electrical, and odometry performance than the first one. The performance of the AGV with ANT control depends on the design and specification of its supporting components. It is recommended to carefully design the AGV and its supporting components to meet the standard requirements from the AGV system provider so that the performance of the AGV can be utilized optimally.