Supply Chain Digital Magazine December 2022 | Page 77

1962

First commercial ARSR The first ARSR machine went into operation in 1962 , installed at a Bertelsmann bookclub warehouse in Germany . Though it was manually controlled , it did offer a semblance of automation , via punch-card control ..

1980s

Computer controlled ARSRs Computer and IT solutions expanded significantly in the 1980s , alongside softwarecontrolled warehouse technologies . Sensors , magnets and lasers were brought in to measure distance and position with never-before-seen precision .

2000 +

AGVs / AMRs Also called an autonomous mobile robot ( AMR ), the automated guided vehicle ( AGV ) is a portable robot that follows along marked lines or wires on the floor , or uses radio waves , vision cameras , magnets , or lasers for navigation . They are used to transport heavy materials around warehouses and factories .
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