Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) use a variety of technologies for navigation, each with its own characteristics and suitable for different application scenarios. Here are some common AGV navigation methods:
1. Magnetic strip navigation:
- Principle: Magnetic strips are laid on the AGV's driving path, and the AGV reads the magnetic strip signals through magnetic sensors for navigation.
- Advantages: low cost, simple to use, and high safety.
- Disadvantages: Magnetic strips are easily damaged, and have high environmental requirements, and cannot be interfered by metal foreign objects.
2. Laser navigation:
- Principle: Use sensors such as laser radar or cameras to perceive the surrounding environment, and use computer vision and image processing technology to achieve autonomous navigation of AGV.
- Advantages: It has high accuracy and flexibility.
- Disadvantages: The cost is relatively high, and the environmental requirements are also high, such as the need for clear sight to perceive the environment.
3. SLAM navigation:
- Principle: A navigation method based on the simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM) algorithm. The sensors carried by the AGV itself perceive the characteristics of the surrounding environment, and combine the information provided by internal sensors such as odometers and encoders to achieve AGV positioning and navigation.
- Advantages: strong adaptability, high flexibility, and no need for auxiliary positioning facilities.
- Disadvantages: high technical difficulty and high cost.
4. Visual navigation:
- Principle: Use cameras to collect image information of the operating area, and use computer vision technology to process image information for positioning and navigation.
- Advantages: high flexibility, wide range of applications, and low cost.
- Disadvantages: high technical difficulty, and high requirements for ambient lighting, target recognition, etc.
5. Electromagnetic induction guidance:
- Principle: The buried metal wire forms a magnetic field, and the electromagnetic induction coil on the AGV senses the change in the magnetic field to identify and track the path.
- Advantages: It is a basic navigation method and is relatively reliable.
- Disadvantages: There are certain requirements for the laying and maintenance of metal wires.
6. Other navigation methods:
- Including but not limited to magnetic nail navigation, ribbon navigation, QR code navigation, inertial navigation, laser reflector guidance, ultrasonic positioning, GPS navigation, direct coordinate guidance, etc. These navigation methods each have their own unique advantages and applicable scenarios.
In summary, there are many different navigation methods used by automated guided vehicles, each of which has its own advantages, disadvantages and scope of application.
When choosing a navigation method, it is necessary to make comprehensive considerations based on the actual application scenarios and needs to ensure that the AGV can complete the navigation task stably and accurately.