Lynx autonomous indoor vehicle promises materials handling boost

If you’re in charge of a parts warehouse, a distribution center, or some other big building full of things that need to be moved around, the Adept Lynx might be just what you need. Made by California-based Adept Technology, the autonomous indoor vehicle (AIV) is able to find its own way as it carries cargo from point to point, within “challenging environments.”

According to the company, such environments could include confined passageways, or areas with people moving about. The Lynx plans its basic route using a map programmed into it by the user, but is also able to spontaneously avoid random obstacles via onboard sensors. It can additionally be programmed to respond to specific voice cues or other audio prompts.

Unlike some other AIVs, it doesn’t require floor magnets, navigational beacons, or any other modifications to its environment – Adept claims that this could save users up to 15 percent in deployment costs. Fraunhofer’s Multishuttle Moves warehouse robots are similarly self-sufficient.

The Lynx can carry loads weighing up to 60 kilograms (132 lbs), which is also the weight of the vehicle itself. That cargo could conceivably be loaded onto it using another Adept product, the Cobra s800 packaging robot.

Power is provided by a 24-volt lithium iron phosphate battery pack, which should provide 19 hours of run time per charge. The Lynx automatically returns to its charging station when that battery gets low – a full recharge takes approximately 3.5 hours.

Prices aren't listed, but will be supplied to interested parties.

Source: Adept Technology