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Tag: BlueBotics

Asset Tracing and Transport Flow Optimization with ANT Locator

Posted on by David Priestman

Autonomous navigation and fleet management equipment supplier BlueBotics – whose ANT navigation technology drives over 6,000 AGVs and AMRs around the world – has announced ANT locator, a new and highly flexible vehicle tracking and mixed fleet management solution that will be commercially available from June 2025.

“Based on our proven vehicle positioning technology, ANT locator allows companies to understand exactly where their forklifts are, and therefore where their pallets are too, whether inside or outdoors,” explains Dr. Nicola Tomatis, CEO of BlueBotics. “ANT locator also addresses an evolving challenge for internal logistics teams: how to ensure effective interactions between manual forklifts and driverless AGVs and AMRs, by enabling traffic light systems for mixed vehicle types, smart interactions in pre-defined zones, and the integrated monitoring of all vehicles.”

ANT locator is natively integrated with BlueBotics’ popular ANT server AGV/AMR fleet manager. It can also be integrated with a customer’s existing WMS, MES, ERP, or fleet management system. Further add-ons are also available, for example for outdoor use, and to manage the tracking of other mobile assets – such as pallet jacks, or staff – within shared spaces.

Designed to meet the needs of AGV/AMR and manual forklift producers, third-party software providers, and end users alike, ANT locator’s functionality spans three key use cases:

1. Optimization of transport flows on mixed vehicle sites
While automated vehicles like AGVs are a proven productivity booster, operating these in the same spaces as manual trucks is a challenge, especially on complex, confined sites. How can transport flows be optimized? Who has right of way? How can efficiency-killing deadlocks and accidents be avoided?

With ANT locator, the live coordinates of manual trucks are integrated directly into BlueBotics’ ANT server AGV fleet manager. This precise positioning data enables the software to automatically manage interactions between automated vehicles, manual trucks, and even human staff – for example, via the use of traffic light systems – helping companies to use their space as intelligently and safely as possible.

2. Precise tracing of manually moved goods

For material handling to run efficiently, knowing the precise location of every pallet is key. But while the drop-off points of automated vehicles are pre-programmed, knowing the precise location of every manual truck’s drop-off is far from guaranteed. With ANT locator integrated into every manual truck, the precise positions of these vehicles can be communicated continuously to a company’s existing WMS/logistics software, allowing material handling teams to trace the exact location of every payload – at pick-up, at drop-off, and everywhere in between.

3. Improvement of manual truck operations through data analytics

One of the biggest barriers to optimizing forklift use is not knowing how they are currently being used. Which flows are most common? Are drivers using the most efficient routes? The precise positioning data and analytics that ANT locator supplies allow companies to improve their manual truck flows, by understanding and optimizing their usage based on real-world insights. No asking, no watching, no guessing — just track, analyze, adjust, and advise.

Positive market feedback

German warehouse management software supplier, SEP Logistik, is an early adopter of ANT locator. “We use ANT locator in our RELAG-System to determine the exact position of each forklift. The system, which provides a real-time 3D visual of the warehouse to the operator, then can show them the most efficient path to reach their target location. ANT locator even enables us to offer this functionality outdoors,” explains Markus Fischbacher. “On one project for example, thanks to the efficiency gains achieved, we enabled a sheet metal producer to reduce the number of forklifts they required by 20%. With ANT locator inside our RELAG-System, our customers can enjoy greater intralogistics transparency and traceability, without needing to leave the office.”

Tomatis of BlueBotics concludes, “For manufacturers and warehouse operators looking to improve the efficiency of their internal logistics, ANT locator is a great fit. It provides the accurate vehicle positions and usage data they need to optimize truck flows, track pallets, manage mixed vehicle interactions and enhance on-site safety.”

Safety can be further boosted with additional collision avoidance solutions from Ubiquicom, which ZAPI GROUP acquired in October 2024. These solutions include proximity sensors that can be integrated into ANT server to create additional smart behaviors related to the operation of manual vehicles, AGVs, and AMRs. Conversely, ANT locator is able to interface seamlessly with Ubiquicom’s range of ‘Forklift Ecosystem’ solutions, enabling ZAPI GROUP to meet the needs of every internal logistics and warehouse management team.

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Mobile Robots Complete Pilot Project

Posted on by David Priestman

Oceaneering International, Inc. announces that its Oceaneering Mobile Robotics (OMR) business successfully completed a pilot project using its omnidirectional UniMover™ O 600 and UniMover™ D 100 underride robots at the ZEISS facility in Jena, Germany, in cooperation with Ingenics Consulting.

The pilot specially tested the mobile robot systems’ manoeuvrability, and obstacle avoidance features, as well as proved specific behaviours at the building’s fire doors. The project demonstrated OMR’s underride mobile robot capabilities and enabled Ingenics Consulting and ZEISS Group to assess their suitability for inclusion in the new, state-of-the-art facility currently under construction in Jena.

Installation, integration, and operation of the underride mobile robots occurred within a three-day period, during ongoing production at the current ZEISS Group facility in Jena. The trial seamlessly ran for one week alongside existing manual logistic processes.

ZEISS Group sought to gain preliminary experience with mobile robots in a dynamic environment that includes both automated transport and manual traffic. Responsible for developing the logistic processes in the new facility, Ingenics Consulting approached OMR on behalf of the ZEISS Group.

“In the planning of the new high-tech site in Jena, it was important for us to address the planned changes and use of innovation for ZEISS at an early stage and to involve the relevant partners,” said Benjamin Lehnort, Senior Project Engineer, Ingenics Consulting. “Through the ongoing communication with OMR in this pilot project, we were able to give the employees at ZEISS in Jena an impression of a mobile robotics system and, as a project team, gain valuable information for the further planning of the building and internal transport. Conducting the pilot in an operational area was particularly important to us in order to get as close as possible to the future environmental conditions.”

Lutz Lippmann, Project Manager, Carl Zeiss AG, said: “The project’s overarching objective was two-fold. We sought to introduce mobile robotics to our multiple business units and to test the underride robots in a dynamic environment with extensive manual transport, thereby assessing the optimal functionality of the mobile robot system. We are delighted that the pilot not only met but exceeded our expectations, with OMR successfully operating the mobile robots in our existing facility.”

Hendrik Hörisch, Branch Manager, Oceaneering Mobile Robotics GmbH, said: “We were able to show that our mobile robots for autonomous transport can be integrated into during an operational logistics process within a very short time without interrupting production or making structural changes to the building thanks to our infrastructure-free navigation technology. Furthermore, we were able to successfully give the employees of Carl Zeiss AG insight into the possibilities of mobile robotics and share an outlook on the potential logistical innovations at the ZEISS high-tech location in Jena.”

The planned new building in Jena serves as ZEISS’ founding location and the second-largest facility worldwide. ZEISS is constructing a building on 80,000 square meters where all development units, as well as a large part of the locally based production and administrative departments, will be located. The new location’s modernity and openness matches the high-tech and science-oriented city of Jena, due to the systems developed and manufactured there.

ZEISS Group’s new facility features state-of-the-art technology that will be used to transport dedicated material trolleys from the logistics area to the production areas on two levels. Integration of the OMR underride technology focuses on providing a flexible, reliable solution that improves efficiency in production and logistics.

OMR’s innovative underride mobile robots are equipped with infrastructure-free navigation based on BlueBotics’ Autonomous Navigation Technology (ANT). Within this one-week demonstration, ZEISS’ facility benefited from mobile robots equipped with the latest navigation technology backed by OMR’s 30+ years of experience in designing, manufacturing, and implementing autonomous mobile robotic solutions.

On-Board Charging for Forklifts

Posted on by David Priestman

Delta-Q Technologies, a ZAPI GROUP company, will showcase their latest charging solutions for electric class I, II and III lift trucks at booth #S1798 exhibit at ProMat 2023 in Chicago, Illinois, from March 20 to 23, 2023.

At ProMat 2023, Conway Hui, Delta-Q’s Director of Global Sales Application Engineering, will lead an educational seminar entitled “On-Board Charging for Class I and Class II Lift Trucks.” The talk is part of the show’s on-floor educational seminars on industry best-practices and innovations, and is scheduled for Tuesday, March 21, 2023, from 12:45-1:30 p.m. in Theatre H.

Conway will discuss the benefits of on-board charging and provide practical considerations for implementation. Attendees will learn how advancements in lithium battery technology are transforming Class I and Class II lift truck systems and meeting the operational needs and challenges of warehouses, material handlers, and rental fleets. Conway will also cover the logistics of implementation, including the types of connectors required, the location and space of the on-board charger in the lift truck, and the challenges that could present during integration.

“We’re excited to be at ProMat this year with the ZAPI GROUP of companies and share our knowledge of on-board charging for counterbalance lift trucks and pallet walkies,” said Lloyd Gomm, Vice President of Business Development and Marketing at Delta-Q. “We’re also proud to showcase our latest innovation in powertrain electrification, the XV3300. This solution is a compact, on-board charging system, perfectly suited for the demands of the material handling industry.”

The XV3300 features a high-performance 3.3 kW stackable charger, an integrated DC-DC converter, and electric vehicle (EV) charging station interface. This 3-in-1 feature saves space and cost and removes the need for extra components, which enables material handling OEMs to more easily transition to electrified powertrains. Its ability to comply with both SAE
J1772 (levels 1 and 2) and IEC 61851 (modes 2 and 3) makes it compatible with standard EV AC charging stations across North America and Europe.

Delta-Q’s sister company, BlueBotics, is also exhibiting at ProMat 2023 at booth #N6715. The company is showcasing its automation navigation solutions for the material handling industry and will lead “Building the Business Case for Mobile Robotics in Logistics & Manufacturing,” an educational talk on Wednesday, March 22 from 3:45 to 4:30 p.m. in Theatre I. The company will co-present with Bastian Solutions and Oceaneering.

Delta-Q Technologies is charging the future and driving the world’s transition to electric energy. We collaboratively design, test, and manufacture robust battery chargers that improve the performance of our customers’ electric drive vehicles and industrial machines. As the supplier of choice for Tier 1 OEMs, our customer support and engineering expertise guide our customers through the electrification process for a sustainable world.

Delta-Q is part of the ZAPI GROUP of companies and headquartered in Vancouver, Canada. The team and distribution span five continents to service industries such as electric golf cars, lift trucks, aerial work platforms, e-mobility, floor care machines, utility/recreational vehicles, and new markets, like outdoor power equipment.

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