Laser Navigation
The laser guidance system provided by Amerden is taking advantage of existing components on the market. A laser scanner which gives out X and Y coordinates and heading is used.
A laser scanner is mounted in a high position on the AGV. The laser scanner must have high visibility to the targets. The targets are made of high reflective tape on a plastic cylinder or plate. A minimum of three targets must be detected at each time during travel. Normally there should always be five visible targets. The targets can be located up to 30 meters from the AGV.
The laser scanner measures distance and angle to each target and gives out X and Y coordinates on a serial port. The laser scanner is connected direct to the AGV control board. The control board can be either CB12 or CB40 and includes software for laser guidance.
The laser scanner uses a GaAs pulse transmitter laser and scans the surrounding area through an internal mirror, which rotates at 10 rev/sec. The scanner has an internal microprocessor. The scanner has a teach mode where it finds all targets which is used when learning a new layout. The laser scanner is classified as Class 1 and is eye-safe. It does not need any special requirements for labeling in the AGV or markings in the environment.
The targets are made of high reflective tape. A minimum of three targets must be seen at each time during travel, normally there should be five visible targets always. The targets can be located up to 30 meters from the AGV.