Aethon will showcase at Automate 2017 in Chicago new mobile robots and software control systems allowing their robotic platform to achieve Level 4 autonomy as described in the IDC Market Spotlight, sponsored by Aethon titled “Indoor Autonomous Mobile Robots – A Maturity Framework”. These products have been designed to address the needs of manufacturers looking to automate material movement and connect islands of automation within their plants.
The TUG smart autonomous mobile robot delivers goods and materials in the hospital 24 hours a day 7 days a week. It is never sidetracked and is always available. The TUG is able to deliver medications, lab specimens, food and linens, and remove trash and waste.
TUG also has applications outside of healthcare, such as in manufacturing, assembly, distribution and hospitality. The TUG robot reduces labor costs and worker safety issues associated with moving materials, supplies, tools, and finished goods. It requires no added infrastructure like beacons or magnets and transports up to 1,200 lbs. TUG will connect islands of automation and make processes leaner and more predictable.
The TUG robot provides greater autonomous operation than other mobile robots on the market. As an example, it is able to autonomously locate its payload, pick it up, transport it and drop it off all without supervision or added infrastructure. This capability is very unique in the mobile robotics space and allows users to generate a better return on investment since labor is no longer needed at the loading and unloading zones. It also enables the fleet to respond directly to machine-to-machine communication since the robot can initiate and complete tasks with no human involvement.
Aethon will feature the T3 and T3XL model robots, which represent the newest innovations in automated material movement. A live demonstration of these robots will showcase autonomous navigation, automatic pickup and drop off, as well as collaborative functions. The newest robots feature an expanded 1,400 lb. load capacity, 48” load platform and omnidirectional navigation.
In addition to the robots, Aethon will introduce a software platform that allows their customer’s engineering support staff to manage their entire fleet. Algorithms provide the customer’s engineering staff to manage the robot fleet including unattended management.
Engineers are able to connect and remotely control any robot in their fleet even from a remote facility. This same technology has been proven in Aethon’s cloud command center and has successfully managed robots that have made over 20 million deliveries and traveled more than 3 million miles.
Aethon’s products are currently in use by global manufacturing firms looking to streamline and automate intralogistics. TUG robots automate material movement in vertical markets such as automotive and transportation manufacturing, electronics manufacturing and assembly, consumer goods, semiconductors, medical devices and contract manufacturing operations.
“The level of maturity of Aethon’s TUG robot platform is impressive. The technology of the newest TUG robot platform meets L4 criteria across all dimensions. This level of maturity provides manufacturers real advantages in terms of automation driving productivity, efficiency, and helping to deliver a rapid return on investment,” says John Santagate, IDC’s research manager for manufacturing insights.
