Will Google and Facebook soon be competing with makers of automated guided vehicles (AGVs) for the best and the brightest engineers? Could be, now that Inc. magazine has cited AGV design and manufacturing as one of the hottest industries for startups in the United States.

As part of Inc.'s 2014 "Best Industries" special report, reporter Christine Lagorio-Chafkin described AGVs as offering a window into "the real, sustainable, and, yes, highly profitable future of robotics." Although Lagorio-Chafkin's industry vocabulary is a bit shaky, she does a good job of describing what AGVs do, where they're used, and what value they bring to factory and warehouse operations. The article also explains why AGVs are hot right now and briefly explores the "human replacement" issue.