Autonomous robots, intelligent software, smart collaboration

This article appeared for the first time in SYNAOS magazine.

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Automotive supplier Continental has been working intensively on automated and autonomous driving for years. Its Continental Mobile Robots unit transfers this know-how to intralogistics for many industries. The company has been growing since the launch of its autonomous mobile robot AMR IL 1200 in 2020. A three-digit team is now active on two continents and can deliver four-digit robot fleets. Customers using Continental hardware are very diverse when it comes to their experience with automated intralogistics: “Some companies have been using autonomous mobile robots for a long time and are giving us clear guidelines for their required specifications,” says Malte Kersten, head of the Intralogistics product line at Continental Mobile Robots. “Other customers, on the other hand, do not yet know much about how they can integrate AMRs into their processes and receive intensive advice from us. ”

Continental Mobile Robots is cooperating with SYNAOS to provide customers with a future-oriented complete solution for their intralogistics. “We ourselves consciously act as a pure robot provider. The robots are controlled, for example, via the SYNAOS Intralogistics Management Platform. In this way, the customer receives a flexible overall system, as the software is also compatible with automated technologies from other manufacturers via the VDA 5050 interface. The customer therefore remains as flexible as possible and does not have to commit to Continental as the only robot partner. That is a huge advantage for our customers,” says Malte Kersten. The close cooperation with SYNAOS, including customer support and advice, also makes it possible to integrate autonomous robots into processes within a few days without interrupting operations. “With just a few adjustments on site, this is almost plug and play. ”

Sophisticated technology

In technology and design for intralogistics, the AMR IL 1200 represents what Continental also stands for in the automotive sector: high-quality, robust and cost-effective. With a transport weight of 1.2 tons, the robot is very flat and easy to manoeuvre even in tight layouts. It automatically recognizes obstacles, can avoid them and steer them around corners. “Some customers were not even aware of how sophisticated this technology is today,” says Alessandro Castagnotto, who, as head of research and development for the Intralogistics product line, is working on the development of Continental Mobile Robots hardware. For the future, he envisions exciting additional features that adapt the robot even better to different applications. Voice control is possible, for example, for the most natural interaction between humans and machines.

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With its sensors and cameras, the robot could also observe its environment almost like a human being. For example, he could recognize which objects he is currently transporting in order to enable live tracking of the materials — this would be a big plus for exact monitoring and optimization of intralogistic processes. “However, the decisive factor for practical use is always which features a company really needs in the company and which are more likely to be disruptive,” explains Alessandro Castagnotto. “In some processes, very intelligent and sophisticated robots will show their strengths, while others will require automation solutions that are as simple as possible and yet mercilessly cost-effective. “Understanding where the market is heading: Continental Mobile Robots is also benefiting from the partnership with SYNAOS in this regard. “As a software provider, SYNAOS has a more comprehensive view of intralogistics than we do,” says Malte Kersten. “They know the requirements of various industries and deal with the entirety of intralogistic processes, not just robotics. This makes our exchange of ideas very productive.” When innovative hardware meets intelligent software, the future of intralogistics is suddenly very close.

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