Proxaut, with over 20 years of experience in manufacturing and delivering innovative AGV systems, has developed and integrated three main navigation technologies that provide greater flexibility in every application:

In complex applications with a combination of narrow aisles and open areas, Proxaut can deliver a so-called AGVL which is a vehicle with a mix of two navigation systems: laser for open areas and inductive wire for narrow aisles.

Similarly, IGVL navigation system consists in a combination of LGV for open areas and IGV for narrow aisles.

Inductive Guidance Technology (Wire Guidance) – AGV

Inductive navigation system provides the greater path accuracy among AGV industry. This system requires to make a small cut on the floor surface (20 mm or 3/4”) and install an embedded electric wire. Detectors on board will follow the frequency of magnetic field generated by the wire, while different frequencies will identify different paths. AGV is an excellent alternative to LGV in harsh environments (high humidity, low temperature) and in case of outdoor driving, where laser triangulation is very limited.

Magnetic Spot Guidance Technology – IGV

Latest generation of IGVs integrates advanced electronics based on odometers and gyroscopes, allowing IGVs to work with a reduced path tolerance of 10 mm or less. Magnetic pucks placed in the floor are marking the paths and are read by sensors mounted on vehicles. Complex path layouts are possible, while over-installing magnetic pucks in the floor may allow to high flexibility in reconfiguring routes.

Laser Guidance Technology – LGV

Laser Guided Vehicles are the most popular and most flexible solution within an open area and within a continuously changing environment, where paths have to be updated often. With LGVs, paths can be easily changed and expanded, providing superior flexibility to the facility manager and to the traffic manager. As an additional value to its offering, Proxaut provides a SW tool, AUTOCAD based, which allows to easily draw and change paths with a user friendly interface. This navigation system is composed by multiple, fixed reference points and reflective strips located within the facility. A laser head on the vehicle utilizes a laser transmitter (with an internal mirror rotating at 8 Hz) to detect any reference point at reaching distance. The same laser head has an integrated CPU which calculates the exact positioning of the vehicle, sending the information to the control unit of the vehicle every 100 milliseconds via Ethernet and then driving the LGV accordingly.