Czym jest robot mobilny? Definicja, rodzaje i zastosowania

Mobile robots are automated machines designed to perform tasks independently. They can either follow human commands, move autonomously, perceive their surroundings, and execute tasks, or run pre-programmed sequences controlled by software. Compared to traditional fixed robots, mobile robots are more intelligent and adaptable. Today, mobile robots are increasingly popular across various commercial sectors. They are used to assist or replace human labor and can even perform tasks that are impossible or dangerous for humans to undertake. Mobile robots are now ubiquitous in settings such as factories, logistics warehouses, hotels, hospitals, farms, supermarkets, ports, and construction sites.

Mobile Robot Composition

Mobile robots are robots that can move autonomously or semi-autonomously in different environments and complete pre-programmed tasks. Understanding AGV vs AMR comparison for mobile robots provides deeper context on this topic.Unlike traditional fixed robots, mobile robots are like humans with brains and bodies. They have the ability to perceive their environment, make decisions, and walk. Mobile robots mainly consist of four parts:

Types of Mobile Robots

Internationally, mobile robots are generally divided into two major categories: service mobile robots and industrial mobile robots. Service mobile robots include hotel reception robots, household vacuuming robots, restaurant delivery robots, etc.; industrial robots include factory material handling robots, roboty do zbioru owoców, port handling robots, construction handling robots,  delivery robots, scanning robots, etc. We can roughly classify mobile robots into the following categories based on different classification methods:

Classification by presence or absence of guidance methods

Mobile robots can be classified into guided robots and unguided robots depending on whether they have guidance devices.

Classification based on different drive types

Based on the different drive mechanisms of mobile robots, they can be categorized into wheeled drive, tracked drive, legged drive, and hybrid drive. Among these, wheeled drive can be further divided into dual-wheel differential drive chassis robot, four-wheel differential drive chassis robot, omnidirectional wheel drive chassis robot (capable of moving in all directions, including lateral, diagonal, and on-the-spot turns), and Ackermann drive robot (similar to cars, where the front wheels steer and provide propulsion).:

The following table provides a detailed overview of the differences and application examples of various wheeled robots classified by drive type.

1. Two-wheel differential

Structure: Consists of two drive wheels + support wheels; steering is achieved through the speed difference between the two drive wheels.

Features: Simple structure, 2 motors, Low cost, Small turning radius

Applicable: Home vacuum cleaner, restaurant delivery robot

2. Four-wheel differential

Structure: Composed of four drive wheels, each of which is independently controlled, movement and turning are achieved through a left-right wheel differential.

Features: Compared to two-wheel drive, it has a stronger load capacity and is more suitable for rough roads

Applicable: Inspection robots, warehouse material handling robots

3. Ackermann

Structure: Similar to a car, it features front-wheel steering and rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive.

Features: High-speed movement and higher driving efficiency.

Applicable: Driverless vehicles, unmanned delivery logistics vehicles

4. Omnidirectional wheels

Structure: Using Mecanum wheels or omnidirectional wheels, it can move in all directions, such as diagonal movement, lateral movement, and turning in place.

Feature:   Highly flexible and can pass through narrow spaces, but has limited load capacity.

Applicable: Hospital material transport robots

Mobile robots achieve autonomy through a layered architecture of perception, localization, planning, and control. For a deeper dive into each layer, our article on how AMRs work explains the full autonomy stack — from sensor data to motor commands.

Classification of robots according to their application

Depending on their intended use, mobile robots can be categorized into cargo-carrying mobile robots, pallet-type mobile robots, pallet-towing mobile robots, unmanned forklifts, commercial floor-cleaning robots, service robots, shelf material handling systems, and robotic arms with attached devices, among others. For more details, please refer to the table below.

Mobile Robot for Transporting Goods

Desktop-style Covert Mobile Robot

Shelf Handling Logistics System

Robot Equipped With a Robotic AMR

UnmanneForkliftft

Commercial Floor Cleaning Robot

Service Robot

How to Choose the Right Mobile Robot

Choosing the right mobile robot (AGV/AMR) is crucial to the success of a project. Therefore, we need to consider multiple factors. Below are several factors to consider when selecting a mobile robot.

Step 1: Clarify your project requirements

When contacting mobile robot manufacturers, you need to think clearly about the following questions.

1. What task will the mobile robot perform?

Transportation: What is being transported? (Semi-finished products, finished products, shelves, pallets, food, fruit)

Towing: Is it pulling materials or hooking them?

Inspection: Indoor or outdoor inspection, or inspection of special locations such as mines?

2. Load of mobile robots

Goods dimensions: The dimensions of the goods to be moved, including length, width, height, and center of gravity, determine the size of the robot’s load-bearing surface.

3. Mobile robot operating environment

Indoor or outdoor: Is the indoor environment a warehouse, workshop, or other space? Consider whether indoor areas require elevator access and whether there are thresholds that need to be crossed. For outdoor areas, consider slope and road conditions.

Ground conditions: Is the surface a flat cement floor, epoxy flooring, or uneven steel plates with gaps? This affects navigation methods and wheel selection.

Human-machine interaction level: Is the area a densely populated zone, a mixed pedestrian-vehicle zone, or a completely isolated unmanned zone? This directly relates to safety standards.

Dynamic obstacles: Are there large numbers of randomly moving people, forklifts, or other vehicles in the environment?

Infrastructure: Are there sufficient widths, elevators, or automatic doors? Does the environment need to be modified for the robot? (e.g., installing QR codes or reflective panels)

4. What kind of workflow is needed?

Route complexity: Is it a simple point-to-point transport from point A to point B, or does it require passing through multiple stations and stopping at multiple points?

Interface requirements: Does it need to automatically interface with elevators, automatic doors, conveyor belts, roller conveyors, or lifts?

Charging method: Is it manual charging, opportunity charging (automatically charging at a charging station during task breaks), or battery swapping?

Scheduling requirements: Do multiple robots need to work in coordination? Is integration with your MES (Manufacturing Execution System), WMS (Warehouse Management System), or ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning System) required?

5. Performance indicators

Efficiency: How many trips need to be completed per hour/day? This places requirements on the robot’s speed, acceleration, and task switching time. –

Reliability: What is the expected uptime? (e.g., >99.5%)

Accuracy: What is the repeatability accuracy requirement for the docking point? (±10 mm, ±5 mm, or ±1 mm?) This is critical for loading and unloading.

Step 2:  Evaluate key technology options: Navigation method

Conclusion: Currently, laser SLAM is the mainstream trend for flexible and intelligent applications. Unless there are special requirements for high precision or low-cost fixed paths, it should be given priority consideration.

Step 3: Movement method (chassis type)

Two-Wheel Differential: The most common type, consisting of two drive wheels and several swivel wheels. It has a simple structure, low cost, and zero turning radius. It is suitable for most indoor transportation scenarios.

McNaughton Wheels: Enable omnidirectional movement (forward, backward, left, right, diagonal, lateral, and rotation). Highly flexible, suitable for operation in narrow spaces. However, it is expensive, requires a smooth floor surface, and has high energy consumption. Commonly used in medical logistics.

Steering Wheel: Similar to a car’s steering mechanism. High load capacity, smooth operation, suitable for heavy-duty (ton-class and above) and outdoor high-speed applications. However, it has a large turning radius. Commonly used in agriculture and industrial logistics.

Step 4: Safety Performance  

Multi-level safety protection: laser obstacle avoidance sensors, vision, and ultrasonic multi-sensor fusion enable path planning, collision avoidance, and collision risk reduction, as well as an emergency stop button for unexpected situations.

Certification: compliance with international safety standards (such as CE, UL, etc.).

Step 5: Software and system integration capabilities

Scheduling System (Fleet Management System): The core of multi-robot collaboration. A good scheduling system can optimize task allocation, path planning, and traffic management to avoid congestion and deadlocks.

API Openness: Can it easily interface with your upper-level systems (WMS/MES/ERP) to achieve task distribution, status feedback, and data upload

Mobile Robot Supplier Evaluation and Selection

1. Compile a list of candidates:

If you want to find a mobile robot company, please use online searches, industry exhibitions, and recommendations from peers to compile a list of 3-5 potential suppliers.

2. Communicate requirements:

Provide each supplier with the detailed requirements identified in step 1 and ask them to provide preliminary proposals and quotes.

3. Watch on-site demonstrations (critical!):

It is essential to observe demonstrations in your company’s environment (Proof of Concept, PoC). Request that suppliers bring the robot to your actual site for testing to assess its maneuverability, accuracy, stability, and human-machine interaction in real-world scenarios. Observe how the robot reacts to dynamic obstacles (e.g., suddenly appearing pedestrians). Test its docking accuracy.

4. Evaluate the supplier’s comprehensive strength:

Technical team: Are they professional and responsive? Successful cases: Do they have successful cases similar to your industry? You can visit the customer site to investigate. After-sales service: How long is the after-sales response time? Is the supply of spare parts sufficient? Do they provide remote support?

5. Total Cost of Ownership (TCO)

Don’t just compare the unit price of robots. Calculate the total cost of ownership, including: hardware purchase price, software license fees, deployment and implementation fees, environmental modification fees, post-installation maintenance fees, and training fees.

Summary: Quick selection checklist for choosing the right chassis supplier

The Future of Mobile Robots

With labor costs continuing to rise, robots are playing an increasingly important role in our lives. Currently, global issues such as aging populations and recruitment difficulties are becoming increasingly serious. In the future, mobile robots will be widely used in manufacturing industries such as semiconductors, new energy, transportation, and 3C electronics manufacturing, promoting quality and efficiency improvements and high-quality development in various industries.

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