AutoGuide opens AMR test facility to show off warehouse robots

Investment continues to flow into the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) sector, as the autonomous forklift vendor AutoGuide Mobile Robots today announced the virtual opening of a test facility in Lawrence, Massachusetts, that will enable potential customers to see a range of warehouse robots operating in a live environment.

The move follows Chelmsford, Massachusetts-based AutoGuide’s acquisition by industrial automation equipment vendor Teradyne Inc. in 2019 for $165 million. Teradyne has become a significant player in the AMR market through a series of acquisitions in recent years, after adding AutoGuide to its stable of players including Mobile Industrial Robots ApS (MiR) and Universal Robots (UR).

Companies considering AMRs for their manufacturing, warehouse, or other e-commerce-related distribution applications can virtually visit AutoGuide’s test facility now, while the building plans to open for onsite visits following Massachusetts’ phased re-opening guidelines as the coronavirus pandemic recedes.

“This new test center enables our customers to look under the hood and see various robots in operation moving higher payload materials in a real-life setting—prior to buying,” Rob Sullivan, president & CEO of AutoGuide, said in a release. “Through the Lawrence Test Center, we’ll be able to work more closely with these customers to ensure efficient transitions from product development to new product introduction to customer deployments.”

AutoGuide says its AMRs use a modular design that lets customers use single systems for different applications. For example, in addition to trying out the firm’s Max-N15 and Max-N10 tuggers and Max-N pallet stackers, visitors can test various modules that let the robots be used for different applications targeted at specific challenges, such as transforming a tugger into an autonomous forklift and back again. 

In addition, the Lawrence Test Center will play an integral role in delivering zone-picking and each-picking product lines to customers, meeting their needs as e-commerce continues to grow.

Announcing ?? the opening of our new test center in Massachusetts, enabling customers to "look under the hood & see various robots in operation moving higher payload materials in a real-life setting—prior to buying,” said Rob Sullivan. ??Details ? https://t.co/JoGkde6LwB pic.twitter.com/uPLdb73wx5

— AutoGuideMobileRobots (@AGmobilerobots) June 23, 2020