Automated Guided Vehicle Systems (AGV Systems)

SSI Schäfer relies on modular expansion of automated warehouse processes for its "Rackbot" systems. According to the intralogistics provider, the solutions can be gradually supplemented with additional storage aisles, mobile robots, and workstations. This is intended to allow companies to adjust their storage capacity and throughput to increasing order volumes without having to completely replace the existing facility.

The global sales of mobile robots for intralogistics applications increased by 19 percent to approximately 103,700 units in 2025. This is according to the annual report "World Robotics 2026 – Service Robots" by the International Federation of Robotics. A total of around 117,500 service robots for transport and logistics applications were sold worldwide last year. As a result, 47 percent of the total 250,000 recorded service robots were attributed to this application segment. The figures were published by the VDMA Association for Materials Handling and Intralogistics on October 27, 2026.

The technology group Körber is acquiring a stake in NAiSE GmbH, a German software provider for independent fleet management. As the company announced, the investment is intended to expand the software portfolio of the Supply Chain business unit. The two companies plan to expand their previous collaboration into a strategic partnership and further develop the comprehensive management of mixed vehicle fleets in production and warehouse environments. NAiSE will remain operationally independent.

(ots) At the NVIDIA GTC Berlin 2026, TÜV SÜD and Accenture presented a joint concept for a "Physical AI Safety Suite" designed to help companies deploy physical AI equipment such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) more quickly and safely alongside human employees. With the help of digital twins, AI agents, and simulations, the "Physical AI Safety Suite" aims to accelerate the automation of factories and warehouses and increase productivity in manufacturing.

Schmalz has introduced the "GSP" intelligent vacuum pump, a fully electric vacuum generator designed for mobile robotics applications and intralogistics handling processes. The ready-to-connect pump operates with a supply voltage of 24 volts and achieves a suction capacity of 50 to 150 liters per minute. Thanks to demand-oriented power regulation and automatic leakage detection, energy consumption can be reduced by up to 90 percent compared to conventional electric vacuum generators. Since the pump operates without a compressed air supply, it is particularly suitable for decentralized automation solutions and retrofitting existing systems, according to the manufacturer.

At the Passau-Patriching site, the automotive supplier links automated material supply with real-time monitoring and smartphone notifications. Employees can thus prepare for material handover at the stops.

Melkus Mechatronic relies on recuperation in its driverless transport vehicles to recover kinetic energy during braking and lowering of loads. As the manufacturer from Göming near Salzburg reports, the electric drive and lifting motors act as generators in the process. The generated electrical energy is fed back into the vehicle battery and is available for further transport tasks. This is intended to increase the energy efficiency and operational duration of the vehicles.

What began in 2003 at the Stuttgart Killesberg now spans over ten exhibition halls. A look back at the technologies that have shaped the trade fair's growth and the development of its international significance.

His diploma thesis already dealt with driverless transport systems. In the meantime, Günther Ullrich looks back on decades of activity in committees, standardization, and professional networking.

The Irish materials handling equipment manufacturer Combilift has launched a new program to promote young technical talent. With the "Future Engineers Award," the company aims to recognize students in County Monaghan who achieve the highest grade H1 in engineering or technology in the Leaving Certificate in 2027. According to the manufacturer, successful participants will each receive 500 euros and a recognition trophy.

With the end of the EK Robotics brand, the provider is consolidating its international activities under one name. At the same time, the product portfolio is shifting towards standardized solutions.

As of October 1, 2026, RHB-Robotics commenced as an independent business unit of RHB-Industries GmbH. The unit in Rheinböllen develops, manufactures, sells, and supports Autonomous Mobile Robots for in-house material transport. According to the company, the new designation does not change the responsible team, technology, or production.

Neura Robotics is entering the clinical market with its own business unit for healthcare technology. As the company announced, Neura HealthTech is set to develop applications based on robotics, sensor technology, and artificial intelligence. The first application is planned to be an autonomous mobile platform for the internal transport of empty hospital beds and sterile goods.

At the SLK Clinic Heilbronn, the Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) "GESSbot" by W. Gessmann GmbH takes over recurring medication transports between the central pharmacy and oncology. According to the manufacturer, the vehicle moves through publicly accessible clinic areas, uses regular passenger elevators, and navigates between patients, visitors, and staff. Sealed-off driving areas or an infrastructure specially set up for the robot are not required for this.

On September 23, 2026, the "User Forum on Mobile Robotics - AGV Symposium" took place at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML in Dortmund. Under the motto "AGV deployment is worthwhile: High throughput through optimized transport processes," over 140 participants from science and practice gained insights into current developments in the field of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and mobile robotics.

With M2X, a public draft for an open specification for communication between mobile robots and infrastructure components is available for the first time. Companies, manufacturers, and integrators can use the specification for their own developments and test it in existing projects. Public commentary is also intended. M2X, short for Machine to X, was developed by the Chair of Materials Handling and Warehousing at the Technical University of Dortmund and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IML.

Mediapoint & Exhibitions has announced the launch of the AGV Expo in Italy for October 2026. The event focuses on Automated Guided Vehicles, autonomous mobile robots, and other technologies for automated logistics. The trade fair will take place from October 22 to 24, 2026, at the Piacenza Expo grounds and is aimed, among others, at vehicle manufacturers, technology providers, software developers, system integrators, and users.

An exclusive interview with Constantin Enke from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) about standardized interfaces and when and for whom the use of VDA 5050 is worthwhile.

A study by the Technical University of Dortmund shows which characteristics professionals attribute to the various mobile robots and where the boundaries remain blurred.

If a pallet is not positioned exactly in its intended spot, its automatic pickup can be time-consuming. A combination of sensors and turntable drive is intended to solve the problem.

Adient, an international manufacturer of automotive seats with around 65,000 employees at approximately 200 production sites in 29 countries, has successfully automated the intralogistics in its plant in Torslanda, Sweden. With the automation, Adient has sustainably eliminated a central bottleneck in seat production.

Digital intralogistics solutions can help increase transparency, efficiency, and automation along warehouse logistics processes. The company Bito-Lagertechnik offers solutions that connect different areas of intralogistics – from shelving and containers to in-house transport. Processes such as demand requests, storage, picking, goods transport, and manufacturing operations can thus be digitally supported and partially automated.

Neura Robotics takes over the "Active Shuttle" driverless transport system from Bosch Rexroth effective October 1, 2026. This addition complements the portfolio of Neura Mobile Robots GmbH. According to Neura Robotics, the acquisition is also part of the development of a comprehensive European ecosystem for Physical AI. Within the Neura Group, Neura Mobile Robots consolidates expertise in autonomous intralogistics and driverless transport systems.