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By Mike Oitzman | July 19, 2024
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Continental mobile robots are deployed in logistics operations at manufacturing facilities. | Credit: Continental
Continental Mobile Robots, a Frankfurt am Main, Germany-based division of Continental’s Automotive Group Sector, has developed mobile robots for use in automotive plants.
The company provides a complete autonomous mobile robot (AMR), including hardware, an autonomy software stack, and fleet management software powered by artificial intelligence and backed by its partners. Continental is using Amazon Web Services (AWS) to create a cloud-based platform that allows customers and partners to tailor solutions to their specific industry requirements. It said this offers them flexibility in the software stack.
While Continental initially targeted its AMR for logistics use cases in manufacturing, the product team is now expanding the capabilities of the solution to enter its next target market: agriculture. The product team expects to launch a new system for farmers by the end of 2024.
The intralogistics AMR has already been successfully put into use at automotive and logistics sites in Europe, Asia, and North America. The robots help to speed up the flow of materials, reducing mistakes in routine tasks, and easing the effects of labor shortages and rising costs, claimed Continental.
With AWS service now at the heart of its software stack, Continental said it can support hybrid deployment for any number of future use cases.
Continental plans to soon deploy mobile robots into agricultural-related applications. | Credit: Continental
Continental works closely with AWS PACE team
Continental has collaborated with the AWS Prototyping and Cloud Engineering (PACE) team to accelerate its innovation journey and implement the first version of its AMRs and software. The company said this partnership enables its customers to manage deployments more effectively at scale over the robot’s lifetime.
“Innovation-driven services from AWS will help us to deliver state-of-the-art mobile robots with outstanding safety and reliability,” stated Rahul Singh, global head of AMR software at Continental.
“The platform has already been deployed successfully in the first customer use cases in the intralogistics environment,” he added. “We look forward to bringing an industry-leading experience for deployment and operations of our mobile robots to even more of our customers.”
Simulation helps accelerate development
Detailed simulations can realize features like remote debugging and monitoring, or streamline the deployment qualification and onboarding process. The stack also enables on-demand compute for AI modules, such as safe navigation, said Continental.
The companies said the engagement continues their long-standing relationship, combining Continental’s AMR expertise with AWS’s cloud capabilities to drive innovation and further accelerate the large-scale adoption of mobile robots.
“At AWS, we are adept at leveraging our industry expertise and purpose-built services, together with new and emerging technologies to help our customers experiment and push the boundaries of what’s possible in their sector,” said Adrian De Luca, director of cloud acceleration for Asia, Pacific, and Japan at AWS. “Our collaborative work with Continental across a number of areas demonstrates that through the power of the cloud and AWS’s deep industry knowledge, we can help customers unlock the true potential of autonomous mobile robots for their industries.”
Continental said its offering for agriculture will be available by year’s end. It is based on a modular concept consisting of an autonomous carrier vehicle for controlled-environment agriculture. The system can be equipped with various implements from Continental’s partner network for tasks such as treatment with ultraviolet light (UVC), selective harvesting, or scouting activities.
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