Glossary

An Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) is a mobile robot that follows fixed paths, such as wires in the floor or magnetic tape, to transport materials. AGVs can be more specialized for your environment, but are less flexible than AMRs because they cannot navigate around obstacles and require specific infrastructure to operate within a facility.

An Autonomous Mobile Robot (AMR) is a vehicle that uses onboard sensors to navigate through a facility without the need for physical guides or infrastructure. While excellent for horizontal transport, AMRs typically require human workers or mobile manipulators to handle the loading and unloading of materials.

ANSI/RIA R15.08 is the American National Standard for Industrial Mobile Robots, providing safety requirements for the design and integration of mobile robotic systems. It serves as a foundational guideline to ensure that advanced robots can operate safely alongside human workers.

Collaborative safety is a spectrum that describes how people and humanoid robots can work together. Full collaborative safety is when humans and robots work together in the same space, potentially touching the same item at the same time. Examples include assembly tasks where a human holds a part while the robot fastens it, or a humanoid lifting a heavy object with a human coworker.

Cooperative safety is a specific stage of the collaborative safety spectrum. In this stage, people and robots occupy the same physical space and work alongside each other, but not necessarily on the same task. This approach enables robots to move freely throughout a facility, following prevailing safety standards, and removes the need for safety cages.

Dynamic stability is a state where a robot, such as a bipedal humanoid, must actively use power and control to maintain its upright balance. Unlike statically stable robots that remain balanced when powered down, a dynamically stable robot can adjust its center of mass to stay upright while lifting heavy loads or navigating narrow spaces.

Embodied or physical AI refers to artificial intelligence that is integrated into a physical machine, allowing it to interact with and learn from the real world. In industrial robotics, physical AI focuses on the hierarchy of physics, control, and planning, using reliable data from actual deployments to help robots navigate and safely perform complex physical labor.

Factory automation refers to the holistic integration of technology to automate all or part of a production facility. This approach utilizes a combination of hardware, software, and AI to optimize workflows and allow human employees to focus on higher-value responsibilities. Examples include automated assembly lines in automotive plants, robotic palletizing stations, and the use of AMRs to move raw materials between production stages.

Fixed automation, also known as hard automation, consists of specialized equipment designed to perform a single, repetitive task. This type of automation is highly efficient for its specific purpose, but lacks the ability to adapt to new products or be relocated within a facility without significant and often costly mechanical changes.

Flexible automation refers to systems designed to be easily reconfigured or moved to handle different tasks or changes in production demand. Unlike traditional fixed automation, flexible solutions like humanoid robots can walk into existing facilities and adapt to various workflows without needing expensive floor plan modifications.

A humanoid robot is a general-purpose machine designed with a form factor that mimics the human body. It typically features a torso, two arms, and two legs. This human-centric design allows the robot to walk into existing facilities and address the hardest-to-automate portions of workflows without requiring expensive infrastructure overhauls.

Inbound refers to the process of receiving and storing products coming into a facility, while outbound involves the picking, packing, and shipping of products leaving the facility. Streamlining both ends of this process is essential for maintaining a high-velocity supply chain and meeting customer delivery expectations.

Inventory management is the systematic approach to sourcing, storing, and tracking a company’s stock to ensure the right amount of product is available at the right time. Leveraging automation and real-time data platforms reduces the likelihood of stockouts or overstock situations.

ISO 25785-1 is an in-progress international safety standard designed for industrial mobile robots with actively controlled stability, such as humanoids and legged robots. It will establish rigorous requirements for dynamic stability, fall mitigation, and controlled shutdowns to ensure these robots can work safely alongside people. This standard is currently being developed by a global committee, including experts from Agility.

3PL/logistics and distribution automation involves utilizing technology like AMRs, conveyors, and humanoid robots to streamline the movement of goods within a warehouse or distribution/fulfillment center. These systems decrease the burden of labor shortages and high turnover while maintaining the high-speed requirements of modern commerce.

Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) is a sensing technology that uses pulsed laser light to measure distances and create detailed 3D maps of a robot's surroundings. This technology allows robots like Digit to detect obstacles and people at ranges of up to 100 meters, and is critical for autonomous navigation and safety.

Line feeding is the process of delivering materials to a manufacturing assembly line to maintain a continuous production flow. Humanoid robots can automate the manual steps of this process and minimize line downtime by transferring totes between tuggers, carts, and workstations.

Manufacturing automation is the use of control systems and advanced robotics to operate machinery and production processes with minimal human intervention. It aims to increase production speed, improve product quality, and enhance worker safety by removing people from hazardous environments.

A Manufacturing Execution System (MES) is a comprehensive software platform used to monitor, track, and document the transformation of raw materials into finished goods. By providing real-time data from the factory floor, an MES helps manufacturers improve production output and ensure high-quality standards across the production lifecycle.

Manufacturing robots are programmable machines used on the production floor to perform tasks such as assembly, material handling, or welding. Most manufacturing robots are fixed/hard automation, but as the need to update existing facilities increases, many sites are looking into flexible automation to fill the gaps.

Material handling automation refers to the use of technology and robotic systems to move, store, and control materials throughout the manufacturing and distribution process. By automating these tasks, facilities can reduce the physical burden on workers while increasing overall throughput and operational stability.

A Mobile Manipulation Robot (MMR) is an advanced robotic system, typically for industrial environments, that combines the mobility of an autonomous platform with the functional dexterity of one or more manipulator arms. A humanoid robot is one example of a MMR - these robots are designed to navigate human-centric spaces while actively handling, grasping, and transporting materials between different stations or islands of automation. 

Order receiving is an initial logistics step where inbound goods are accepted into a facility, verified against documentation, and prepared for storage. Efficient receiving processes are critical for maintaining an accurate inventory and ensuring that products are quickly available for downstream processing or fulfillment.

Order processing covers the entire workflow from the moment a customer order is received to when it is picked, sorted, and ready for shipment. This typically involves coordinating multiple automation layers, such as put walls and conveyors, to ensure speed and accuracy.

Payload control refers to a robot's ability to safely manage and stabilize the objects it is carrying during transport or manipulation. Because humanoid robots carry items externally, they require sophisticated control systems to ensure that payloads do not shift or fall.

Perception is the ability of a robot to process data from its sensors to understand and interpret its environment. For humanoid robots, high-accuracy perception is vital for distinguishing between human workers and inanimate objects to ensure safe and reliable interactions.

Picking is the process of retrieving individual items, totes, cases, or pallets from storage locations to fulfill specific customer orders. While traditionally labor-intensive, this task can be optimized through goods-to-person workflows where automated systems deliver the items directly to a workstation. 

Robotics as a Service (RaaS) is a flexible financing model that allows companies to lease robotic solutions through a subscription instead of making a large upfront capital investment. This model makes advanced humanoid technology more accessible by shifting costs to operational expenses (OpEx) and includes ongoing support and maintenance.

Storage is the organized placement of goods in a designated area, while replenishment is the process of moving stock from long-term storage to primary picking locations. Maintaining an efficient replenishment cycle prevents picking delays and ensures that high-demand items are always accessible to workers or robots.

Tote loading and unloading involves the physical placement or removal of containers from conveyors, AMRs, or storage racks. Automating this task with humanoids or other MMRs bridges the gaps between different robotic systems, and prevents islands of automation.

Tote recycling (or tote replenishment) is the management of empty containers to ensure they are available for reuse in picking or distribution cycles. Humanoids can automate this workflow and maintain a consistent operational flow by stacking or nesting empty totes and transporting them back to induction points.

Warehouse Execution System (WES) is a real time software solution that orchestrates the physical flow of goods from receiving through shipping. It acts as a central decision engine that synchronizes human labor with automated systems to balance workloads and maintain steady throughput. By bridging the gap between high level planning and floor execution, a WES dynamically directs resources to prevent bottlenecks as conditions change.

A Warehouse Management System (WMS) is a high-level software application designed to control, automate, and provide visibility into daily warehouse operations. It manages the movement and storage of goods within a warehouse by coordinating tasks like receiving, picking, and shipping.