With the AGV market expected to grow at a 50% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next four years, (from an already expanding value of USD $3.66 billion in 20181), it’s easy to forget that these vehicles have grown from a niche market to one of the fastest growing segments in the service robotics industry.
Indeed, only a decade ago, just two main applications were common for automated guided vehicles: moving pallets in warehouses (intralogistics), and in manufacturing (primarily the production of cars).
However, a number of factors, from the rising demands of e-commerce, to the potential productivity, flexibility and cost saving advantages that automated technologies offer, mean that the next ten years will be just as transformational.