AGV Unmanned Forklift Hardware: The Core Support System for Intelligent Handling

In the wave of intelligent manufacturing and smart logistics, the hardware system of AGV unmanned forklifts is like the skeleton and nervous system of humans, directly determining the equipment's performance boundaries and application scenarios. From millimetre-level positioning to all-terrain adaptability, every component of its hardware architecture carries the industrial handling requirements of ‘efficiency, safety, and flexibility.’

Core Hardware Architecture

1. Navigation and Positioning System

• Laser SLAM Navigation: A laser radar emits hundreds of laser beams, constructing an environmental map and enabling real-time positioning. It is suitable for structured environments such as warehouses and production lines. AiTEN's TP100 material handling robot can utilise a dual-laser radar fusion navigation system, achieving navigation accuracy of ±10mm, or a laser SLAM + QR code-assisted navigation system, also achieving ±10mm accuracy.

• Visual Navigation: Utilising high-definition cameras and AI image recognition, it can identify ground QR codes, colour strips, or natural features. This solution is 30% cheaper than laser-based systems and is suitable for dynamic environments such as e-commerce sorting centres.
• Hybrid Navigation: Some high-end models integrate UWB (Ultra-Wideband) and inertial navigation, maintaining stable path tracking in indoor environments without GPS, such as cleanrooms in semiconductor factories.

2. Drive and Motion System

• Drive Unit: Utilises permanent magnet synchronous motors or brushless DC motors paired with planetary gearboxes to achieve smooth start-stop performance under loads of 1.5–3 tonnes. The AiTEN AR15 has a climbing ability of 5°, meeting the requirements for ascending and descending slopes.
• Steering Mechanism: The omnidirectional wheel design (such as Mecanum wheels) enables 360° lateral movement. The AiTEN narrow aisle material handling robot ML03 has a turning radius of just 0.69 metres, reducing aisle occupancy by 50% compared to traditional forklifts.

 3. Perception and Safety Components

• Multi-sensor fusion: Equipped with multiple sensors, it can monitor the surrounding environment in real time and supports 360° safety obstacle avoidance. When it detects a person or object in front of it, the AGV will immediately stop.
• Mechanical safety design: Anti-collision bumpers and buffers can absorb collision energy, ensuring safety redundancy in human-machine collaboration scenarios and complying with CE certification.

Hardware Technology Upgrade

1. Battery and Energy Management

Lithium iron phosphate batteries replace traditional lead-acid batteries, offering improved endurance, high safety, and up to 2,000 charge/discharge cycles. The batteries support fast charging, with a rated endurance of 6-8 hours and a charging time of less than 2 hours, enabling 24-hour continuous operation.

2. Modular Mechanical Structure

• With a modular design and multi-vehicle compatibility, the AR20 forward-moving handling and stacking robot has powerful lifting capabilities and can handle a variety of handling tasks. It can be used for material handling on production lines and cross-workshop turnover, ensuring efficient logistics connections between all links, and can also easily complete goods storage and retrieval operations on shelves.

• The AMR has a body height of only about 200 mm, allowing it to enter under shelves to lift pallets, making it suitable for ‘goods-to-person’ picking scenarios in e-commerce warehouses.

3. Edge computing and Communication Hardware

• Supports dual-band high-power Wi-Fi 6, doubling signal coverage, with expandable industrial-grade Ethernet support.
• Supports AI sensing and recognition of multi-specification, multi-colour pallets, racks, cages, etc., with multi-angle, high-precision, adaptive recognition, enabling stable picking and placing.

Conclusion

The hardware evolution of AGV unmanned forklifts has always revolved around the core objectives of ‘cost reduction, efficiency improvement, and quality enhancement.’ From the first commercial application of laser navigation to the widespread adoption of multi-sensor fusion and AI edge computing today, each hardware iteration has expanded the boundaries of industrial automation. For businesses, selecting hardware solutions tailored to specific application requirements not only improves material handling efficiency by 30–50% but also lays the physical foundation for future upgrades to flexible manufacturing.

AiTEN Robotics is a global leader in autonomous industrial vehicles (AMR/AGV) and logistics automation solutions. AiTEN Robotics has developed ten product series to meet the needs of full-stack material handling scenarios. AiTEN Robotics has deployed more than 200 projects in over 30 countries and regions, and is trusted by numerous Fortune 500 companies across industries such as automotive, food and beverage, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing, and third-party logistics, enhancing operational safety, efficiency, and future readiness.

Contact AiTEN to learn how our innovative autonomous forklifts and intelligent systems can transform your material handling processes.