BlueBotics to Show Autonomous Navigation Technology at MODEX 2022

BlueBotics SA today said it plans to demonstrate a fleet of vehicles from multiple brands using its Autonomous Navigation Technology, or ANT, at MODEX 2022 next month. The Saint-Sulpice, Switzerland-based company said its booth will include a small pallet-moving operation controlled by one ANT server software project.

“As our fleet demo at MODEX will show, ANT natural-feature navigation is not only robust and precise, but it also allows a business to connect the widest possible range of vehicle types and brands together in one robust fleet,” stated Nicola Tomatis, CEO of BlueBotics. “Today's global organizations demand a high level of flexibility when building their AGV [automated guided vehicle] operations."

"The wide ecosystem of ANT-driven vehicles provides the opportunity for multinationals to work with different local vehicle suppliers in different countries, while still reaping the benefits of deploying one globally-proven standard,” he said.

BlueBotics said it uses its 20 years of industry and navigation experience to support customers that need to bring their AGVs, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), or automated forklifts successfully to market. The company added that more than 3,000 ANT-driven vehicles are currently in operation.

ANT navigation designed for growth

BlueBotics claimed that its natural-feature navigation software can provide accurate, robust, repeatable vehicle performance. ANT requires minimal infrastructure changes, unlike AGVs that follow physical lines or use laser triangulation, it said. As a result, warehouses can quickly install vehicles, and they can easily modify materials handling operations in the future, according to the company.

As a business’s site and needs evolve, multiple types and even brands of ANT-driven vehicles can be connected in a diverse fleet using ANT server, the company’s advanced mission and fleet management software.

BlueBotics said its software can also interface with existing warehouse management systems (WMS), manufacturing execution systems (MES), or enterprise resource planning (ERP) software. ANT server can also communicate with on-site equipment such as palletizers, automatic doors, and elevators.

BlueBotics to exhibit at MODEX 2022

MODEX 2022 will be from March 28 to 31, 2022, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. BlueBotics said its team of autonomous navigation experts will be at its booth, B2009, to answer any questions about ANT.

At the event, the company plans to demonstrate how ANT can control an automated tow tractor with a cart, a forked AGV, three BlueBotics mini AMRs, and an industrial cleaning robot.

ZAPI Group, a Poviglio, Italy-based provider of motion controllers, electric motors, and battery chargers, recently acquired BlueBotics. The global market for AMRs could grow from $1.61 billion in 2021 to $22.15 billion by 2030 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 34.3%, predicted Research and Markets.