Promoted content: SICK’s NAV-LOC localisation sets AGVs free from reflectors

LiDAR-based scanning technology developed by SICK, can improve the performance of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) the company has claimed.

The firm’s NAV-LOC localisation solution dispenses with the need for reflectors or other physical markers and is said to enable AGVs to find their way around shop floor and warehouse environments more reliably and efficiently.

The technology is based on a SICK NAV 360^o LiDAR scanner that can be integrated into new or existing AGVs. By recognising the pre-mapped contours of a factory or warehouse interior, the system eliminates the need for time-consuming and costly installation of reflectors, special paints, tracks, magnetic strips or coloured tapes.

The system uses precise 2D data from the SICK NAV310 LiDAR scanner to match its position to a reference map stored on a SICK SIM2000 Sensor Integration Machine, which is also mounted on the AGV. As the data is processed, a SICK algorithm continually compares the distances retrieved from the scan data with the reference map to provide position and orientation information to the AGV controller.