ABB’s New Flexley Tug Combines Visual SLAM AI Tech and AMR Studio

A global leader in industrial robotic solutions, ABB Robotics, has recently announced its innovative integration of visual SLAM AI technology and the AMR Studio Suite for its new autonomous mobile robot (AMR), the first Flexley Tug T702. Combining 3D vision and AI technology, the collaborative and compact design of the AMR T702 optimizes productivity and flexibility with easy configuration and a user-friendly approach. This makes the new AMR practical even for first-time robot users, with easy operation and programming.

Features of ABB’s AMR T702

Equipped with visual SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping) navigation technology, ABB’s new AMR T702, based on its environment, can make intelligent decisions by leveraging AI technology and 3D vision technology for robustness against deviations in lighting environments, slippage or partial camera occlusion and additionally offer increased positioning accuracy of ±5 mm even in harsh environments. With visual SLAM navigation technology, the AMR's speed is increased by up to 20% compared to the 2D SLAM, as the new AMR can create a map that enables autonomous operations even in dynamic and complex environments collaboratively with workers.

The new visual SLAM navigation technology has its capabilities in the AMR T702 optimized with AMR Studio software by ABB. The new software suite combines the AMR Studio and AMR Studio Fleet Manager, which uses advanced algorithms and a user-friendly interface to optimize AMR fleet management and monitoring. Requiring no programming knowledge, inexperienced users can easily set up their AMR fleet through system configuration, mission generation., and environment mapping. The integration of the two solutions in the AMR T702 reduces commissioning time by up to 20% as the technology provides a reliable image mapping solution that needs no infrastructural change.

ABB's AMR Studio software suite provides error-free fleet management as it can automate repetitive tasks to further increase efficiency. Additionally, the software provide infinite modification flexibility, making it easy to automatically update fleet maps for AMR's performance.

Market Context and Acquisition of Sevensense

With the mobile robot market projected to grow at a 20% annual rate, reaching $9.5 billion by 2026, up from its current $5.5 billion, ABB continues to set a new stage of mobile robot development following the recent purchase of Swiss firm Sevensense, a leader in AI navigation in January. According to the president of ABB Robotics, Marc Segura, the new AMR T702 solutions offer unmatched scalability and flexibility in intralogistics, further adding that the solution can be used in fulfillment centers and automotive industries with dynamic environments. The T702 equipment with AMR studio and Visual SLAM was recently showcased at the LongiMAT 2024 international trade show.

As the challenge of skilled labor shortage builds up, industries seek solutions that will solve this while optimizing performance. Solutions like ABB's AMR T720 pose as a potential solution to this looming challenge by providing collaborative, scalable, accurate, and efficient logistics solutions while still being user-friendly with its visual SLAM and AMR Studio technology.