MassRobotics, an independent non-profit organization, released the first open source, autonomous mobile robot (AMR) interoperability standards. This initiative will further the development and adoption of AMRs and support safe and efficient operations in industrial settings.
Standards can help to spur the adoption of new applications in the logistics and material handling space. Industry leaders, including Daniel Theobald, Founder of Mass Robotics and CIO and Founder of Vecna Robotics, have been vocal about this in years past. In an interview with Industrial Sage in November, 2020, Theobald stressed that problems caused by a lack of interoperability have been deterring organizations from implementing automated solutions at all.
Theobald describes the release of version 1.0 of the MassRobotics’ Autonomous Mobile Robot Interoperability Standards as a “crucial milestone for the industry”. He adds, “It’s this pre-competitive collaboration and combined thinking from the greatest minds in the field that drive the sector forward exponentially faster than any one vendor could otherwise.”
These new standards could not have come at a better time. The robotics field is reaching a major turning point following a rapid adoption of autonomous mobile robots and a dramatic labor shortage across the nation. With Logistic IQ predicting that the AMR market will reach $14B in the next five years, these standards are more than necessary, they’re a game-changer.
Buyers of autonomous mobile robots should look for the MassRobotics Interoperability Standard compliance for many reasons. Read the full article at Industrial Sage to learn how these standards make widespread automation immensely more achievable, and offer a key advantage to global factories, warehouses, and distribution and fulfillment centers.
Learn more about Vecna Robotics Interoperability Standard compliant vehicles: see our autonomous counterbalanced fork truck, pallet-truck and tugger in action.
