Continental Mobile Robots, a division of Continental’s Automotive Group Sector based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany, has developed autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) initially for automotive plants. The company offers a complete package, including hardware, autonomy software, and AI-backed fleet management software, leveraging Amazon Web Services (AWS) for a cloud-based platform. This allows customization for industry-specific needs, enhancing flexibility.
Continental’s focus on logistics within manufacturing facilities has seen the deployment of its intralogistics AMR across Europe, Asia, and North America. These robots improve material flow, reduce errors, and alleviate labor shortages. The company’s next target market is agriculture, with plans to introduce a farming system by the end of 2024. This agricultural system will utilize a modular autonomous carrier vehicle designed for controlled-environment agriculture with various implements for specific tasks.
Collaboration with AWS
Continental has partnered with the AWS Prototyping and Cloud Engineering (PACE) team to accelerate the development and implementation of its AMRs and software. This collaboration enhances the manageability of deployments at scale throughout the robot‘s lifecycle. Rahul Singh, global head of AMR software at Continental, stated,
“Innovation-driven services from AWS will help us to deliver state-of-the-art mobile robots with outstanding safety and reliability.”
Singh emphasized the success of initial deployments in intralogistics environments and expressed enthusiasm for expanding the solution to more customers.
Simulation Accelerates Development
Detailed simulations are a key feature of Continental’s development process, enabling remote debugging, monitoring, and streamlining deployment qualification. These simulations support on-demand compute for AI modules, such as safe navigation. The partnership with AWS combines Continental’s expertise in AMRs with AWS’s cloud capabilities, aiming to drive innovation and facilitate the widespread adoption of mobile robots. Adrian De Luca, director of cloud acceleration for Asia, Pacific, and Japan at AWS, highlighted the collaborative effort to unlock the potential of autonomous mobile robots for various industries.
Continental’s agricultural solution, set for year-end release, features a versatile autonomous carrier vehicle capable of integrating various implements from its partner network. These implements support tasks like UV light treatment, selective harvesting, and scouting activities, showcasing Continental’s commitment to expanding AMR applications beyond traditional manufacturing environments.
Continental’s collaboration with AWS is pivotal in advancing AMR technology. By leveraging AWS’s cloud infrastructure, Continental can offer scalable, flexible solutions tailored to various industries, including agriculture. This partnership underscores the potential for autonomous mobile robots to revolutionize multiple sectors by addressing labor shortages, enhancing efficiency, and reducing operational costs.
