Which technologies do you consult on?

All of the major location, identification and IoT technologies: RTLS (UWB, BLE, Wi-Fi), RFID (passive, active and RAIN UHF), industrial IoT and sensors, GPS and GNSS, AGV and AMR robot fleets, and hybrid stacks that combine them. We recommend the right mix for each zone and use case, not a single technology.

Are you really vendor-neutral?

Yes. We do not sell hardware or a software platform of our own, and we take no resale commissions, so our technology and vendor recommendations serve your outcome rather than a product we need to move.

Do you work outside the UK?

We are UK-based and work across Europe and internationally, delivering in English, German and French. Engagements can be remote or on-site depending on the work.

What does a consulting engagement include?

Typically discovery and requirements, vendor-neutral technology selection, vendor evaluation and RFP support, ROI and business case, solution architecture, and an implementation roadmap. We scope each engagement to where you are.

Can you help after the decision is made?

Yes. We work across the full lifecycle - we can also deploy, integrate, and operate the system, so you can keep one independent team from business case through to live operation.

How do we get started?

Usually with a short call or a fixed-fee discovery to scope the problem, followed by a proposal with clear deliverables, timeline and fees. There is no obligation and no platform pitch.

Which is cheaper — AGV or AMR?

Depends on workflow. AMR is typically cheaper to deploy initially (no floor prep, faster commissioning); AGV has lower lifetime TCO on stable high-throughput routes. The right comparison is total-cost-per-completed-move over the deployment lifetime.

Can AGVs and AMRs share a master control system?

Yes — VDA 5050 is designed exactly for this. We design VDA 5050-compliant master control as part of /solutions/fleet-orchestration.

Do AMRs need WMS integration to be useful?

Yes — for any production deployment beyond proof-of-concept. AMR fleet management software integrates with WMS (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Körber) via standard APIs. We design integration patterns in stage 1.

Will AMRs replace AGVs over time?

Partly. AMR market share is growing fast in goods-to-person picking and variable workflows. AGVs retain advantages in deterministic high-volume trunk routes and heavy-load tugger applications. We expect mixed-fleet, VDA 5050-orchestrated to be the long-term answer.

COMPARAISON · ROBOTIQUE MOBILE

AGV vs AMR — quand chacun gagne.

AGVs and AMRs are different generations of warehouse and factory mobile robotics, with different assumptions about navigation, infrastructure, flexibility and TCO.

AGVs follow fixed paths defined by magnetic tape, wire-guidance or barcode markers; AMRs navigate dynamically with LiDAR or visual SLAM. This is the operator-level comparison for procurement teams choosing between them — and the case for hybrid fleets governed by VDA 5050.

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La différence de catégorie

AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are fixed-path robots that follow markers — magnetic tape, embedded wires, optical lines, or fixed-position QR codes. They're deterministic, reliable, and proven at scale in high-volume repeatable tasks.

AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) use onboard sensors (LiDAR, depth cameras, IMU) to build a map of the environment and navigate dynamically — they replan around obstacles, share dynamic paths with peers, and adapt to layout changes without re-tape-laying.

AGVs win on deterministic throughput in stable layouts; AMRs win on flexibility and faster deployment in changing environments.

Navigation et infrastructures

AGV: needs floor preparation (tape, wires, QR codes). Layout changes require re-laying the path infrastructure. Strong in environments where the layout is fixed and throughput is predictable.

AMR: needs a clean-floor scan during commissioning, plus charging stations. Layout changes handled by re-mapping (minutes to hours, not weeks). Strong in environments where workflows or layouts shift over time.

Débit, coût et TCO

AGV: capital cost per unit can be higher for tugger / lifting vehicles, but lifetime TCO is well-understood and predictable; high-throughput applications (kitting, line replenishment, finished-goods buffer) are AGV's traditional strong suit.

AMR: faster deployment, lower per-unit capex on lighter-duty vehicles, but software, integration, fleet management and traffic-control engineering add cost. Payback is usually faster on AMR for variable workflows; AGV wins on steady high-volume routes.

Paysage des fournisseurs

AGV: JBT, Dematic, Daifuku, KION (Linde / Dematic / STILL), Toyota Material Handling, Egemin. Fork-truck-shaped AGVs from forklift OEMs are mainstream.

AMR: Mobile Industrial Robots (MIR, KION-owned), Geek+, OTTO Motors (Rockwell), Locus Robotics, Fetch (Zebra), Vecna Robotics, 6 River Systems (Shopify). The market consolidated rapidly post-2020 with major industrial groups acquiring AMR vendors.

VDA 5050 — la norme d’interopérabilité

VDA 5050 is the interface standard between mixed-fleet AGVs/AMRs and a master control system, published by the German Association of the Automotive Industry. It's now broadly adopted across European and growing North American deployments.

With VDA 5050, you can run a heterogeneous fleet — AGVs from one vendor, AMRs from another — under a single orchestration layer. This dramatically de-risks vendor commitment and enables phased rollout. See /solutions/fleet-orchestration.

Flottes hybrides et quand chacune s’adapte

Mature deployments often layer both. AGV for high-volume repeatable trunk routes (line-side replenishment, finished-goods buffer to dispatch).

AMR for variable goods-to-person picking, ad-hoc moves, and routes that change with seasonality or product mix. VDA 5050 binds the fleet under one master control. We pick the right vehicle for the right route in stage 1 — see /solutions/fleet-orchestration.

FAQ

Questions fréquemment posées

Lequel est le moins cher — AGV ou AMRC ?

Cela dépend du flux de travail. Le AMR est généralement moins cher à déployer au départ (pas de préparation au sol, mise en service plus rapide) ; AGV a un TCO plus faible sur des routes stables à haut débit.

La bonne comparaison est le coût total par déménagement accompli sur toute la durée de vie du déploiement.

Les AGV s et AMR s peuvent-ils partager un système de contrôle maître ?

Oui — VDA 5050 est conçu exactement pour cela. Nous concevons un contrôle maître conforme à VDA 5050 dans le cadre de /solutions/fleet-orchestration.

Les AMR S ont-ils besoin d’une intégration WMS pour être utiles ?

Oui — pour tout déploiement en production au-delà de la preuve de concept. Le logiciel de gestion de flotte AMR s’intègre avec WMS (SAP EWM, Manhattan, Blue Yonder, Körber) via des API standard. Nous concevons des schémas d’intégration à l’étape 1.

Les AMR s remplaceront-ils les AGV S avec le temps ?

En partie. La part de marché de AMR croît rapidement dans la cueillette de biens à personne et les flux de travail variables.

Les AGV conservent des avantages dans les routes trunk déterministes à grand volume et les applications de remorqueurs à forte charge. Nous nous attendons à ce que la solution à long terme, VDA 5050 - orchestrate soit une flotte mixte.

Quelle est la précision de la navigation AMR en pratique ?

Position accuracy ±2–5 cm in typical SLAM-mapped environments. Docking and load-handling accuracy is higher (mm-level) using fiducial markers at pickup points. Accuracy is bounded by sensor quality and mapping discipline.

Dernière mise à jour : 26 mai 2026