Optimizing Autonomous Mobile Robot Navigation with a Hybrid SLAM Technique

Rough terrain navigation, seamless interface and collaboration with workers, fleet navigation systems, interoperability with other systems...The checklist of must-have features for autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) has grown steadily over recent years, not least for their demand and ability to independently interact with their environments.

But when it comes to navigating spaces that are dirty, oily or have uneven and bumpy floors, AMRs can be constrained by their environment and have ways to go.

Thira Robotics, a South Korean designer and developer of self-driving logistics robots hopes to solve these unmet needs with a patented technology that allows its fleet of AMRs to drive over oily and imperfect roads and imperfect surfaces.

“The main market differentiator for Thira’s technology involves two main characteristics,” according to Shawn O’Farrell, automation technical lead at Disher, a Zeeland, Mich.-based integrator and engineering solutions provider. “The first is uneven floors, broken surfaces, oily floors and wet floors. They have patented technology that will go over all those surfaces.

“The second technology that they’re bringing to market is ‘Hybrid SLAM’ technology,” he continued. “What’s interesting about it is the traditional AMR will perform SLAM LiDAR, scanning the environment and navigating to fixed locations. In this case, with this new technology, we get high precision only when it’s needed, and we use a special tape that allows you to apply it to any surface on the floor.”

What is Hybrid LiDAR?

LiDAR SLAM stands for Light Detection and Ranging Simultaneous Localization and Mapping. A LiDAR-SLAM system uses a laser sensor to generate a 3D map of the environment. LiDAR is used to measure the distance to an object by sending a light pulse, bounces it off the object to the sensor and records time of flight (ToF). Positioning and location calculations are performed at a remarkable rate, making the level of precision on these devices accurate.

Thira Robotics has developed proprietary LiDAR and vision sensors, which the company dubbed “Hybrid SLAM.” The combination of laser scanner-based 2D LiDAR and a camera are the basis for improved autonomous navigation.

Additionally, Thira AMRs utilizes its proprietary reflector tape to improve precision. This capability allows the AMR to build a map, localize the AMR in that vicinity and map out unknown areas/obstacles to determine the optimal path to travel in accomplishing tasks.

“The tape can be applied to any surface on the floor,” explained O’Farrell. “It only fluoresces with UV. This technology allows us to not only get high precision, but to do it with far less expense than traditional magnetic tape or other technologies that do line following. That will change the market.”

Target Industries: Material Handling, Inventory Management and Healthcare

During a booth demo at Automate 2024, O’Farrell demonstrated how the AMRs steadily navigated oily and imperfect or undulating surfaces. The L200 is designed to lift a cart at a low ground clearance, and the SML System ensures steady lifting of heavy loads. The L300 model in stainless steel targets the food & beverage and pharmaceuticals industries.

“When you need a washdown, clean-room situation, this robot will handle all the hard tasks within that space,” said O’Farrell. “It has a three-point suspension and is really targeted at large food manufacturers.”

AMR advancements are changing the way industries operate in fundamental ways. In one case study, Thira Robotics had a client—Parker, a leading motion and control technologies company—that needed to automate the transportation of products in its production facilities and needed a solution that could handle wet and slippery floors.

For this project, Thira Robotics specified the L200 AMR, which could lift heavy cart loads at low ground clearances, and would be rugged enough to handle water drains, damaged floors and braille blocks. The fleet was further augmented with Thira Robotics’ proprietary AWG shock-absorber system, which absorbs shocks over bumps (of up to 30 cm) for further stabilized driving.

O’Farrell also showcased the L300 model, which is made of stainless steel and has a three-point suspension. It is targeted at large food manufacturers and pharmaceutical markets. He noted that Disher has a variety of clients in the United States that require this solution and is now partnering with Thira Robotics to bring the technology to the U.S.

Their AMRs are designed for “any manufacturer that needs to singulate packages, skids, dunnage, totes, you name it,” said O’Farrell, who has a background in machine automation and holds a bachelor of science in manufacturing systems engineering from Kettering University. “It’s a wonderful product that is different in a way that it executes its motion.”

Filling Manufacturing Gaps Through Game-Changing Technology and Collaboration

According to O’Farrell, Thira Robotics adapted technology from construction trades, applied it directly to the manufacturing sector and it has resulted in a game-changing AMR solution for Disher’s clients.

“[The technology] solves the really significant problem in the U.S. for labor shortages and the need to do automation in brownfields really well when it comes to material handling and product delivery,” he said. “It just tied together, and it was a good synergy between South Korea and the U.S.”

Also present at the booth was Suzy Im, managing partner at BDMT Global (Boston), who helps global technical leaders and innovators broker go-to-market plans and grow global business operations for clients, including Thira Robotics. She pointed out that there are many reasons U.S. manufacturing has slowed down for the past 20 years. “But now they’re trying to catch up,” Im said.

Manufacturers are focusing on adopting more automation and seeking out collaboration opportunities “so that they can get to where they should be and get to a lot faster,” she said.

For both O’Farrell and Im, this is where collaboration opportunities come into play. “This is a time where we collaborate as much as possible and recognize there’s a market gap so that we can overcome with a solution that we don’t have to build from scratch,” said Im. “By collaborating we can get there faster.”