Nowadays, more than ever, transporting volumes is a day-to-day reality for any company. Modern intralogistics require flexible and safe systems capable of operating in environments shared with people. Automating these processes adds value to the robustness and efficiency of floor operations, enabling the movement of materials and minimizing the risk of human error.
Autonomous transport systems, particularly AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots), are a differentiating tool for modern industry. Their capability to respond to a wide range of applications, with different requirements in terms of flexilibity and modularity, makes them particularly suited to the challenges of today’s production.
AMR for the factory of the future: ACTIVE Shuttle
The ACTIVE Shuttle was developed by Bosch Rexroth , to transport materials autonomously. This AMR transports loads of up to 260 kg and an area of 600 × 400 mm² at speeds of up to 1 m/s in a robust, efficient, and fully automated manner, ensuring ESD (Electrostatic Discharge) compliance and equipped with an integrated lifting platform. It is controlled transparently and intuitively by the ACTIVE Shuttle Management System (AMS), which is compatible with the VDA 5050 standard interface.
As for fleet management, the ACTIVE Fleet Manager (AFM) allows users to plan routes, identify and avoid obstacles, monitor loads and autonomy, and also integrate with MES or ERP systems via VDA 5050. This makes it possible to control mixed fleets from different suppliers or even integrate with external fleet management solutions.
ACTIVE Shuttle’s artificial intelligence eases its integration into the infrastructure, as this AMR adapts its route to any objects and obstacles that may be in its path. It works through natural navigation based on the mapped environment.
O fluxo de materiais nas instalações de produção modernas é complexo, uma vez que os pontos de utilização são variados e podem encontrar-se distantes entre si. O ACTIVE Shuttle surge como uma solução inovadora para este desafio, eliminando a necessidade de transporte manual de materiais. Graças à sua navegação laser robusta e fiável e deteção de obstáculos em 3D, o ACTIVE Shuttle pode deslocar-se livremente na fábrica sem a necessidade de alterar a infraestrutura existente, automatizando assim o fluxo de materiais e mercadorias.
Each ACTIVE Shuttle unit combines a wide set of elements that ensure safe, efficient operation that is fully connected to the industrial environment. Communication is ensured via WiFi and IEEE 802.11.ac/a/b/g/n connectivity, allowing direct interaction with the network infrastructure. In addition, it has a touch screen that allows direct communication with operators in the factory, facilitating real-time monitoring and control of operations through an intuitive GUI.
The built-in laser scanners (PLd) ensure safe operating by detecting obstacles in the path and adjusting the AMR’s movement accordingly. Safety is further enhanced by a 3D object detection system using two stereo cameras, which can identify obstacles beyond the range ofg conventional laser scanners.
ROKIT: Modular Intralogistics
With the development of the ACTIVE Shuttle , Bosch Rexroth has acquired solid know-how in the application of mobile robotics. This advancement enabled the company to identify a growing need in the industry: the demand for modular and flexible solutions. Users increasingly seek to develop products tailored to their specific needs, without having to invest significant resources or time in creating or adapting equipment already available on the market. The answer to this need lies in solutions that combine customization, efficiency, and ease of implementation.
ROKIT unlocks new possibilities in the field of intralogistics and mobile robotics. It is a modular hardware and software kit designed to build highly customizable AGVs or AMRs This solution, integrated into the ctrlX , ecosystem, is composed of three components: the ROKIT Locator , the ROKIT Navigator and the ROKIT Motor . These components are responsible, respectively, for the functions of localization, navigation, and locomotion, enabling the full automation of these processes.
ROKIT Locator
One of the biggest challenges in mobile automation is the ability to reliably and dynamically locate vehicles, even when in constant changing environments. ROKIT Locator is a SLAM location software that maps space and locates vehicles in real time using laser sensors.
Features such as “Express Mapping” allow users to easily create complex maps, while environmental change detection systems enables automatic updating of these maps across the entire fleet. In addition, you can integrate odometry data, enable automatic sensor calibrations, and access real-time diagnostics, thereby ensuring robust and continuous operations.
This component can be applied together with the other ROKIT elements, or individually, in robotic equipment with other navigation and motorization technologies, or even in non-robotized solutions for vehicle localization.” It can, for example, be used in logistics vehicles (such as forklifts) to monitor their routes and actions, combining this with sensors to identify load movements.
ROKIT Navigator
To navigate through the space mapped by the ROKIT Locator, there is the ROKIT Navigator component, which uses the mapping data to transmit instructions regarding direction and speed to the motor controller in order to complete the missions commanded by the fleet management.
It can adapt the navigation to real conditions, avoid obstacles, optimize routes, enabling advanced and flexible movement planning. It also supports the VDA 5050 standard for communication with fleet management systems, ensuring fast integration with additional sensors and other location technologies.
Additionally, the ROKIT Navigator allows the development of solutions with different locomotion architectures, such as differential, Ackermann, omnidirectional configurations, among others.
ROKIT Motor
To complete the system, Bosch Rexroth also developed the ROKIT Motor , an all-in-one traction module that stands out for its integration. It includes the wheel, motor, gearbox, brake, encoder, and controller, incorporating functional safety via EtherCAT and meeting the requirements of safety levels PLd/SIL2
Its plug-and-drive architecture reduces installation effort, minimizes wiring and simplifies maintenance. At the same time, it ensures high-level performance with speeds up to 2m/s and nominal torque of 30Nm (with peaks up to 70Nm).
With a robust design, IP54 protection and an estimated service life of 95.000 km, the ROKIT Motor easily adapts to different vehicles, including those powered by batteries, and it integrates seamlessly with the ctrlX AUTOMATION ecossystem.
Conclusion
Estes componentes podem conjugar-se livremente, dando origem à denominação ROKIT, que permite customizar soluções com base em módulos interoperáveis, Graças à sua arquitetura granular, o ROKIT permite criar soluções customizadas, mantendo absoluta compatibilidade com padrões abertos e facilidades de manutenção, escalabilidade e integração com o ecossistema Bosch, especialmente através do ctrlX AUTOMATION.
In summary, Bosch Rexroth’sstrategy for intralogistics combines:
- Autonomous mobile robots with easy implementation and integrated safety (ACTIVE Shuttle).
- Granular platform for creating customized solutions (ROKIT/Modular).
- Integration and unified control via open architecture (ctrlX AUTOMATION, VDA 5050).
- Natural expansion for complementary equipment (linear machines, EcoShape structures, pick-and-place systems).
This ecossystem reduces integration times, enables mixed routes, modernizes logistics and answers to the reduz tempos de integração, permite frotas mistas, moderniza a logística interna e responde aos desafios da Indústria: maior produtividade, adaptabilidade, segurança e interoperabilidade, com redução de custos e complexidade.
