The controller is the core of the electrical control system and even the entire AGV/AMR. Previously, the on-board controllers used by AGV/AMR were basically single-chip microcomputers, PLCs, and Industrial computers. With the continuous development of AGV/AMR technology, navigation methods are becoming more and more diverse. The application of new technologies such as laser and vision has greatly increased the computing power requirements of the controller, which also gave birth to the birth of AGV/AMR dedicated controller.
Compared with general-purpose industrial motion controllers or PLCs, AGV/AMR controllers integrate mature navigation and motion control algorithms (such as laser positioning algorithms, Mecanum wheel control algorithms), which save users a lot of work and are more stable and a higher level of protection.
The AGV/AMR controller technology was first introduced into China by foreign companies, and with the vigorous development of the domestic AGV/AMR industry, domestic AGV/AMR controller manufacturers have gradually matured.
Among them, Xiangong Intelligent is an example. This RoboCup world champion team from Zhejiang University, with a “graduate background”, has a passion for the robot industry, seizes the opportunity and resolutely cuts in, focusing on the development of AGV/AMR special controllers and related products.
In the development process of the next few years, Xiangong Intelligent has experienced multiple stages of technological exploration, and has successively launched products such as SRC series core controllers, digital systems, and AMB standard chassis, and its business scope has continued to expand. Relying on its mature technical capabilities, its series of products are widely recognized in the market, and gradually established 7 offices and 2 production bases across the country, with business in more than 20 countries and regions around the world. It has successively won the favor of capital and won several rounds of financing.
It is the recognition of the market and capital that has made Xiangong Intelligent to make great strides forward. Today, Xiangong Intelligent is constantly clarifying and deepening the policy and path according to the goals in the process of enterprise development, and thinking about how to achieve greater breakthroughs in the next step.
Zhang Sui, vice president of Xiangong Intelligent, told the new strategic mobile robot all media, “Xiangong Intelligent’s final answer is to strengthen the essence and original intention of the enterprise, so we have once again clarified the positioning of ‘smart controller and digital software product provider’, with Product service integrator customers, promote the development of the industry.”
Zhang Sui revealed that in 2022, with the product portfolio of “intelligent controller + software digital system” as the main market strategy, Xiangong Intelligent’s total order volume in the first half of the year will double, and the controller business will increase by 6 times year-on-year.
1. SRC series core controller empowers integrators
In the robot structure, the AGV/AMR controller is the core of the autonomous navigation control and dispatching system, and also the “brain” of the AGV/AMR vehicle. The performance of the controller directly determines the ease of manufacturing AGV/AMR, its functional characteristics, and whether it is convenient and easy to use.
Zhang Sui introduced, “Xiangong Intelligent’s positioning of customers in the integrator group is precisely the consideration factor: the current integrators in the industry know more about AGV/AMR at the application level. If they build their own cars, it is necessary. Faced with various challenges. For example, what is the product at the end customer site? And what kind of application should be done according to the scenario? These challenges to the integrator just constitute the core competitive advantage of Xiangong Intelligent.
It is understood that Xiangong Intelligent has accumulated a lot of practical experience and typical cases in the process of developing AGV/AMR car bodies and exploring non-standard projects in the past, and is familiar with end-user pain points, docking equipment, and application scenarios in different industries. On the basis of in-depth understanding of customer pain points, Xiangong Intelligent continuously iteratively upgrades the controller application functions, adapts to various forms of AGV/AMR on the market, fits the non-standard attributes of various industries, and can quickly extract the controller during project deployment Among them, the function matching the on-site scene helps manufacturers to quickly complete the docking and shorten the project implementation cycle.
At present, Xiangong Intelligent has formed a complete controller product line, including entry-level controller SRC-800, standard function controller SRC-2000, and functional safety controller SRC-3000FS.
- SRC-800—”everything” is controllable
This model is an entry-level navigation controller, which meets various types of navigation methods and adapts to different types of AGV/AMR. At the same time, industrial-grade wide-temperature components are used to achieve stable operation under extreme temperatures and support the needs of various application scenarios. And in the non-navigation field of smart factories, SRC-800 is compatible with a variety of scheduling software, which can easily control smart factory elevators, charging piles, automatic doors and other infrastructure, and truly realize one-stop control for smart factories.
- SRC-2000——Multifunctional High Integration
This model is a general-purpose controller with more comprehensive functions and stronger performance. The 3D vision sensor recognizes and detects three-dimensional obstacles, the two-dimensional code is accurately positioned, and the location of the shelf can be efficiently identified in special scenes; in addition, it has a variety of external interfaces and communication buses to adapt to different non-standard requirements, and supports four-wheel drive McNair A variety of motion models such as drum wheels and double rudder wheels, as well as motor models such as various linear mechanisms such as jacking, rollers, and latent traction, realize multi-functional high integration.
- SRC-3000FS – the world’s first safety controller
This type of product has basic functions such as map construction, positioning, and navigation for mobile Robots, as well as advanced functions such as multi-machine scheduling, automatic charging, and 3D obstacle avoidance. At the same time, this is also the world’s first functionally safe navigation controller, and currently the only domestic controller that has passed the global SGS TüV SAAR functional safety certification, supporting functions such as safe emergency stop, safe obstacle avoidance, safe speed monitoring, and safe limit. Integrators using SRC-3000FS to build cars will no longer need a safety PLC, effectively improving the internal integration of AMR, making the space more compact, making electrical connections simpler, and reducing overall costs. In addition, it has CE certification for going overseas, providing customers with fast and convenient services.
At present, in the field of controllers, in addition to continuously promoting the iterative upgrade of existing series of products, it is also actively digging into new scenarios and new application fields. Zhang Sui revealed, “Xiangong Intelligent is trying to combine the controller of the composite robot collaborative arm with the AGV/AMR controller to form a set of standardized composite robot controller products. With the continuous advancement of research and development, it is expected that a larger breakthrough.”
2. Digital software system matches market demand
On the basis of controller products, Xiangong Intelligent can not only help integrators “build cars”, but also provide a series of AMR product portfolios, which are based on a large number of integrators using Xiangong Intelligent Controllers to manufacture a variety of AMRs for different scenarios , creating a rich model library of Xiangong Intelligent, which in turn meets the model needs of more integrators.
In addition to hardware, Xiangong Intelligent’s series of digital software products are connected upwards to various customer work systems and downwards to various types of AMRs, which can help integrators to carry out and complete on-site deployment work more quickly.It includes: one-stop implementation tool Roboshop Pro, unified re