RBR50 company AutoGuide Mobile Robots today held a virtual opening of its test facility in Lawrence, Mass. AutoGuide said the facility enables potential customers to remotely watch its modular, high-payload autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) operating in a live environment.

Companies considering AMRs for their manufacturing, warehouse or other e-commerce-related distribution applications can virtually visit the test facility now. The facility will open for onsite visits following Massachusetts’ phased re-opening guidelines for COVID-19.

“This new test center enables our customers to look under the hood and see various robots in operation moving higher payload materials in a real-life setting – prior to buying,” said Rob Sullivan, president & CEO, AutoGuide Mobile Robots.

“Through the Lawrence Test Center, we’ll be able to work more closely with these customers to ensure efficient transitions from product development to new product introduction to customer deployments. As a result, our teams can deliver products to market faster and with a greater focus on the challenges facing our customers. It’s another step in ultimately ensuring our customers’ success as they optimize their logistics overall, ultimately reducing their payback period and increasing ROI.”

Enabling the benefits associated with the Lawrence Test Center becomes even more critical as AutoGuide continues to expand its product portfolio into new and diverse markets. For instance, as e-commerce continues to grow, the Lawrence Test Center will play an integral role in delivering zone and each picking product lines to customers. “With the opening of the center, we can now better aim our new advanced high-payload industrial AMRs towards solutions that are most impactful for customers,” Sullivan added.

In May 2020, AutoGuide announced that its Max-N tuggers became available in Europe after achieving CE mark approval. The CE marking means the Max-N10 and Max-N15 AMR tuggers now adhere to the European Union’s directives and standards for health, safety and environmental protection. The Max-N10 and Max-N15 are capable of pulling more than 4500 kg and 6800 kg of materials, respectively.

AutoGuide was named an RBR50 Innovation Award winner by our sister publication, Robotics Business Review, for its hiring of re-skilled coal miners. AutoGuide and its premier integrator, Heartland Automation, have hired 25 former coal miners to fill labor shortages. The displaced miners were retrained and graduated from the Haas eKentucky Advanced Manufacturing Institute in Paintsville, Ky. Students train on state-of-the-art CNC equipment and are taught soft skills for professional development.