Factory AGVs

Buying advice

Measure stopping accuracy at every transfer

An AGV that hands loads to conveyors, stands or machines must stop in the same place every time, or the transfer jams. ISO 18646-2:2024 describes test methods for mobile robot pose accuracy and repeatability, path deviation and passage through narrow gaps, which gives you a structured way to ask for evidence. Set the tolerance each transfer point can accept, then ask makers to show repeated stops at a station like yours, both loaded and empty. Check how the vehicle confirms its position before a roller deck or lift starts to move, and what it does when it finds itself out of tolerance.

Feed the line to its takt, with buffers

When the listings were checked in October 2026, published prices on this page sat between about $20,000 and $95,000, from the Clearpath Husky to the AGILOX ODM, and no listing was quote-only. In production, a late delivery starves a station, so plan the AGV schedule around line takt rather than average demand. Add a small buffer at each point of use and decide how long the line can run on it if a vehicle is delayed. Ask makers to simulate a full shift with your takt, route lengths and transfer times, and to show what happens when one vehicle drops out. Use opportunity charging during dwell at stations if the maker supports it.

Settle who answers for added top modules

An AGV often reaches the line with a conveyor, lift or tow module fitted by an integrator rather than by the vehicle maker. ANSI/ITSDF B56.5-2024 covers modified vehicles operating in unmanned modes as well as purpose-built AGVs, and it assigns duties to users and to system suppliers. Agree in writing who carries the safety responsibility once a third-party module is added, who updates the documentation, and who must approve later changes to load, speed or route. Keep records of the training given to people who work near the vehicles, since the 2024 revision updated its training requirements.

What to look for

• Guidance method: magnetic tape, reflectors or natural-feature navigation
• How loads transfer on and off: roller deck, lift or tow hitch
• Floor quality, ramps and doorways along every planned route

Common questions

Do AGVs still need tape or wires on the floor?

Not necessarily. Many current AGVs use laser or natural-feature navigation, though magnetic tape and reflectors remain common where routes rarely change.

Can AGVs run outdoors?

Most are built for indoor floors. Rugged platforms such as the Clearpath Husky are designed for rougher ground, so check the environmental rating before you plan outdoor routes.

Sources and further reading

• ISO 18646-2:2024 Robotics: performance criteria and related test methods for service robots, Part 2 — International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
  Test methods for mobile robot pose accuracy, obstacle avoidance, path deviation and passage through narrow gaps.
• ANSI/ITSDF B56.5-2024: Safety Standard for Guided Industrial Vehicles — American National Standards Institute (ANSI).
  Summary of the US safety standard for driverless guided vehicles and the automated functions of manned trucks.