AGV/AMR Market – Forecast (2024-2030)

The Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV)/ Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) Market size is forecast to reach USD 9.1 billion by 2030, after growing at a CAGR of 12% over the forecast period 2024-2030. One major factor propelling the AGV market is the increasing trend of industrial automation in industries like manufacturing, automotive, e-commerce, and healthcare. AGVs are a cost-effective and efficient alternative for handling and moving materials in automated manufacturing settings. The need for AMRs has increased dramatically because of the quick adoption of Industry 4.0 principles and the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies like cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT). These robots are essential to the automation and improvement of many industrial processes, which raises output and boosts operational effectiveness. The AGV/AMR market is poised for continued growth as industries increasingly embrace automation to improve operational efficiency and productivity.

The report “AGV/AMR Market – Forecast (2024-2030)”, by IndustryARC, covers an in-depth analysis of the following segments of the AGV/AMR market.

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Market by Vehicle Type: Unit Load AGVs, Automated, Guided Carts, Forklift AGVs, Pallet Trucks, Towing/Tugger AGVs, and Others;

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Market by Navigation: Laser-guided navigation (LGV), Magnetic navigation, Natural navigation (SLAM or LiDAR NAVIGATION), Wire navigation, Vision Navigation, and Others; 

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Market By Mode of Operation: Indoor and Outdoor; 

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) Market By Application: Logistics and Warehousing (Storage/Distribution), Assembly Lines, Packaging Lines, Trailer Loading & Unloading, Raw Material Handling, Trash Removal, and Other Applications; 

Autonomous Mobile Robots Market (AMR) By Application: Sorting, Pick & Place, Tugging, Warehouse Fleet Management, and Others; 

Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) by End-Use Industry: E-Commerce & Logistics, Automotive, Manufacturing, Chemical & Pharmaceutical, Food & Beverage, Aerospace, and Others;

Autonomous Mobile Robots Market (AMR) Market by End Use Industry: Manufacturing and Wholesale and Distribution;

 

By Geography: North America, South America, Europe, and APAC 

• The APAC region is anticipated to dominate the AGV/AMR market with a value share of approximately 35.6% in 2023, followed by North America with a value share of approximately 32.8% in 2023.

• With a value share of roughly 24% in 2023, e-commerce and logistics led the AGV market. Advanced packaging technology has developed to lower costs while enhancing integrated circuit performance and throughput.

• AGVs/AMRs are being widely adopted by industries due to their ability to enhance operational efficiency and productivity. These robots can handle repetitive and tedious tasks, resulting in streamlined operations, reduced costs, and improved throughput.

• As AGVs/AMRs become more prevalent, regulatory bodies are focusing on establishing standards and guidelines to ensure the safe and reliable use of these robots. Compliance with these regulations will become increasingly important for manufacturers and users of AGVs/AMRs

The Towing/Tugger AGVs segment dominated the AGV market in 2023. The most basic kind of AGV with the fewest characteristics is called an automatic guided cart (AGC The escalating demand for Towing/Tugger Automotive Guided Vehicles (AGVs) is driven by the surging wave of automation and the expanding landscape of manufacturing. These specialized AGVs offer distinct advantages over traditional counterparts such as Unit Load AGVs, Automated Guided Carts, Forklift AGVs, and Pallet Trucks. Towing/Tugger AGVs excel in efficiency, seamlessly towing multiple loads, optimizing material flow, and minimizing downtime. Their versatility accommodates diverse load sizes, adapting to evolving production needs. As industries increasingly embrace automation for heightened productivity and cost-effectiveness, Towing/Tugger AGVs emerge as the preferred choice, enhancing operational agility and enabling a smoother transition towards smart, interconnected manufacturing processes.

The Laser-guided navigation (LGV) segment dominated the AGV market in 2023. High-precision navigation capabilities provided by LGV technology allow AGVs to navigate and function exceptionally accurately in industrial settings. By assuring accurate material handling and transportation, the employment of laser guiding systems improves the AGVs' capacity to negotiate intricate and dynamic courses, reducing errors and increasing operating efficiency. AGVs with LGV capability help industrial and logistics facilities optimize their material handling and workflow procedures. LGV technology enables AGVs to handle material transportation, inventory management, and order fulfillment tasks more efficiently and productively by offering precise and dependable navigation guidance. Businesses looking to maximize their material handling and logistics operations can benefit from the favorable return on investment provided by the dependable and affordable navigation solution provided by LGV technology in AGVs. Over time, organizations can achieve considerable cost savings and operational profitability with the support of LGV-enabled AGVs' reduced errors, minimized downtime, and better operational efficiency.

The Indoor segment dominated the AGV market in 2023. AGVs made for interior settings provide optimal material handling performance in cramped areas like distribution centers, warehouses, and manufacturing plants. Because of their ability to maneuver in tight areas and narrow lanes, these AGVs can move and handle materials with ease in indoor operational environments, making the most use of available space and improving overall operational efficiency. Indoor logistics operations benefit greatly from the automated movement of items, effective inventory management, and expedited order processing made possible by AGVs. These factors include shorter order processing times, higher inventory accuracy, and more efficient order fulfillment overall.  Automated material and component transfers between production stages are made possible by the seamless integration of AGVs with conveyor systems and production lines in indoor manufacturing facilities. Conveyor systems that include AGVs improve material flow overall, reduce production downtime, and make it easier to handle materials between processes efficiently. All these factors increase production line efficiency and throughput.

The Logistics and Warehousing (Storage/Distribution) segment dominated the AGV market in 2023. Logistics and warehousing operations are becoming more networked and data-driven owing to the trend of integrating AGVs with IoT and connectivity technologies. Real-time data exchange, remote monitoring, and predictive maintenance are made possible by AGVs integrated with Internet of Things sensors and connectivity protocols. This improves overall operational visibility and management efficiency in logistics and warehousing facilities while facilitating optimized material handling, inventory management, and supply chain operations. The use of AGVs in warehouse and logistics settings is being impacted by the move towards collaborative robotics and co-bot integration. 

The Pick & Place segment dominated the AMR market in 2023. One notable trend is the incorporation of sophisticated AI and machine learning functionalities into AMRs for sorting applications. AMRs with AI-powered algorithms installed may more accurately and efficiently recognize, classify, and identify different kinds of goods, improving sorting speed and accuracy in a variety of commercial and industrial contexts. Multi-modal sorting capabilities are becoming increasingly common in AMRs. More and more companies are looking for AMRs that can handle and sort a wide range of goods and packages, such as boxes, parcels, and oddly shaped objects. AMRs' adaptability and suitability for sorting applications in many industries are increased by the incorporation of multi-modal sorting functions, which facilitate the efficient handling of a broad variety of items.

The E-Commerce and logistics end-use industry dominated the AGV market in 2023. The exponential growth of the e-commerce industry is driving demand for automated solutions, like automated guided vehicles (AGVs), to handle the growing volume of orders, enhance order fulfillment efficiency, and satisfy customers' expectations for prompt and dependable delivery. This will support the e-commerce market's expansion and boost the logistics industry's overall growth. Logistics companies are adopting AGVs to automate material handling, streamline order picking, and optimize inventory management processes in response to the growing demand for timely delivery and efficient order fulfillment in the e-commerce sector.

The Wholesale & Distribution end-use industry dominated the AMR market in 2022. The implementation of Automated Material Receipts (AMRs) is streamlining order processing, inventory management, and automating a variety of warehouse tasks in E-commerce Wholesale and distribution. These benefits include lower operating costs, more efficient order fulfilment, and timely product delivery to customers. To improve the overall customer experience and promote customer satisfaction in the e-commerce industry, AMRs are propelling the development of last-mile delivery solutions in E-commerce Wholesale and distribution. They also support the effective transportation of goods to nearby distribution centers and delivery hubs, optimize route planning, and enable the timely delivery of goods to end users

Asia Pacific region dominated the AGV/AMR market in 2023.  The use of advanced robotics and automation in a variety of industries, as well as technological breakthroughs, have received active support from the Chinese government. The government hopes to boost China's industrial competitiveness and promote sustainable economic growth by accelerating the development and deployment of new technologies, including as AGVs and AMRs, through financial programs, policy incentives, and strategic collaborations.  AI, IoT, and robotics are just a few of the cutting-edge technologies that Indian companies have been aggressively incorporating into AGVs and AMRs to improve their capabilities and flexibility. These linkages pave the way for the creation of intelligent, networked robotic systems that can make complicated decisions, navigate effectively, and collaborate seamlessly with human workers. In the Indian market, businesses such as Adverb Technologies and Grey Orange have been setting the standard for the development and implementation of sophisticated AMRs and AGVs. 

The growing need for warehouse automation is driving a substantial portion of the market for automated guided vehicles, or AGVs. Automation is becoming more and more necessary because of the industries' general requirement for high efficiency, including the automotive, healthcare, e-commerce, food and beverage, logistics, and manufacturing sectors. Automating industrial facilities with AGVs can assist in meeting material handling capacity requirements while also lowering production times, decreasing the possibility of human mistakes, improving safety, guaranteeing high production volumes, and improving precision and repeatability. Just-in-time (JIT) raw material supply, computerized management of received assembled parts, and shipment tracking are all made possible by the usage of AGVs. AGVs aid in the storage, distribution, and transportation of cargo without the need for human intervention, eliminating the risk of worker injuries and product damage while also improving accuracy.

By implementing Industry 4.0 principles, conventional industrial facilities are gradually changing into automated, intelligent, and highly efficient facilities. An industrial facility can become an independent plant owing to Industry 4.0. It creates a single automated unit by fusing robots, computers, and industrial automation solutions. Intelligent architecture with decentralized decision-making capabilities is created by the network of linked devices. The development of Industry 4.0 is altering how warehouses operate. Industry 4.0 also seeks to establish a working environment that facilitates effective collaboration between humans and robots. Moreover, processes will become an industrial environment with better automation system coordination when Industry 4.0 and robotics are integrated. This connection will help in the extremely demanding and dynamic supply chain ecosystem by enabling time-sensitive, high-velocity operations at reduced costs. It has also enhanced system coordination and allowed warehouse operators to complete time-consuming, high-speed tasks at a reduced cost, which has further fueled the growth of the automated guided vehicle market. 

Automobile manufacturers may achieve more efficient manufacturing, reduce lead times, and optimize the flow of materials with the use of AMRs. Moreover, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are gaining popularity as a logistical solution that can quickly adjust to shifting production layouts and processes as automakers prioritize flexibility over volume throughout the projected era after Just-In-Time (JIT) production techniques were implemented. It is anticipated that the application of robotics in the car industry will keep expanding quickly enough to accelerate output. To gain a larger market share in the robotics industry, automakers such as Toyota and BMW are investing in robotics and manufacturing technologies. BMW and Nvidia have been working together for several years to create mobile robots for internal use in their plants. The focus of this work has been automated material handling at the last mile. Increased investment in automated manufacturing methods, such as industry 4.0 standards implemented globally, is also anticipated to expand the market for AMRs in the automotive sector. 

In the realm of automated solutions, challenges persist with Automotive Guided Vehicles (AGVs) compared to the efficiency of robotics arms. Robotics arms offer unparalleled precision and flexibility in handling tasks, outshining AGVs in complex manufacturing environments. AGVs, tethered to predefined paths, encounter limitations in adaptability and may struggle with intricate tasks. Conversely, robotics arms exhibit dynamic adaptability, executing diverse functions with a level of dexterity and accuracy that AGVs find challenging. The demand for increased customization and intricate operations favors the versatility of robotics arms, marking them as the preferred choice for businesses seeking advanced automation solutions.

The adoption of automated technologies across industries is hindered in emerging economies like Tanzania, Bangladesh, and India due to low labor pay rates. These nations have a lot of inexpensive labor, therefore there is little to no economic need for industrial facilities to be automated. In India, a semiskilled worker makes about $3 per day on average. Because inexpensive labor is more readily available in these emerging economies, automation in manufacturing facilities is less common than in other developed nations. This is because the labor-robot trade-off is less profitable. Tanzania, Bangladesh, and Cuba are examples of developing nations with extremely low average daily salaries. As a result, businesses in developing nations are hesitant to spend money on automated machinery like AGVs. Human laborers do a variety of tasks in emerging economies' manufacturing sectors because it is more advantageous for them to combine their manual labor with accurate, semiautomated machinery. 

Partnerships, Agreements, Product Launches, Acquisitions, Expansion, and Collaborations are key strategies adopted by players in the AGV/AMR market. In 2022, the AGV/AMR Market share has been consolidated by the top ten players accounting for more than 70% of the share. Major players in the AGV/AMR market are Daifuku, Kion Group, SSL Schaefer, Kardex Group, Dematic, ABB, Fanuc Corp, Omron Automation, Honeywell, Zebra Technologies, and others.

In 2023, The third generation of Dematic's freezer-rated automated guided vehicles (AGVs) has been introduced. It has sensor and navigation technology breakthroughs that surpass the most recent revisions to global safety requirements. 

In 2023, OMRON Robotics and Safety Technologies, Inc. and Lowpad BV made a strategic partnership to expand OMRON’s line of mobile robots with Lowpad’s low-profile product offering. As a component of the strategic alliance, OMRON will use its extensive worldwide marketing infrastructure to market and market tailored versions of Lowpad's robots under the OMRON brand.

In 2022, The new manufacturing facility of Daifuku North America Holding Company (Daifuku) in Boyne City, USA, will have a grand opening ceremony. Daifuku spent $26 million to construct this state-of-the-art 225,000-square-foot manufacturing complex. It serves as the center of production for automated guided vehicles and baggage handling equipment for airports.