Importance of Industrial Computers for AGV & AMR Deployments
Industrial computers are essential in enabling edge computing technologies for effective AGV and AMR deployments. These advanced vehicular robotics are latency-sensitive in nature and cannot rely on the seconds of delay from traditional cloud computing. By processing edge AI workloads on-premises or locally, it allows AGV and AMRs to operate in real-time, minimize bandwidth utilization, enhance safety and security, and provide live telematics.
Although consumer-grade desktop computers can technically enable edge AI workloads, it is not suited for AGV and AMR environments. Industrial computers for AGV and AMRs are purpose-built with specialty hardware for harsh environment deployments and expected to have 24/7 operational uptime with no maintenance requirements throughout their lifecycle.
Benefits of Industrial Computers for AGV & AMR Deployments
Real-time Edge AI Processing
Traditional cloud computing poses challenges such as the introduction of latency, dependency on consistent wireless connectivity, and bandwidth constraints. AGV and AMR applications are latency-sensitive by nature and require real-time insights for actionable decision-making. By leveraging real-time edge AI processing with industrial computers, it allows AGV and AMRs to operate effectively and seamlessly.
Industrial computers for AGV and AMRs are deployed on-premises and in-vehicle to minimize latency and significantly reduce reliance on the cloud. Through a heterogenous computing approach that enables sensor fusion, these computers leverage specialized hardware accelerators to consolidate IoT sensors, process and analyze edge AI workloads, and rapidly store data for further analysis. Integrating ruggedized edge computing with industrial computers into AGV and AMRs ensures 24/7 operational uptimes and real-time decision-making for enhanced efficiency.
AGV and AMR-Centric Connectivity
Industrial computers are purposefully designed to provide the most IoT-centric connectivity tailored for AGV and AMR deployments. It offers support for both modern and legacy connectors to ensure compatibility across prevalent IoT sensors, cameras, and devices. Typically, industrial computers will also have automation or robotic related I/O such as DIO for programmable switches, CAN Bus for real-time vehicle telematics, and an OOB (out-of-band) module for remote management.
Scalable and Flexible Customization
Not all AGV and AMR deployments are the same. Each deployment may have slightly differentiating criteria in processing performance, IoT connectivity, and such. Premio addresses these diverse needs with a 3-tier performance selection ranging from entry-level building blocks to high-performance certified systems. Additionally, a turnkey feature of Premio is the support for EDGEboost I/O technology. By providing EDGEBoost I/O modules, it provides the connection flexibility to meet all kinds of deployment requirements with M12 connection, PoE support, 5G wireless connectivity, and even M.2 performance acceleration.
X86 Super Rugged Computers (RCO Series)
NVIDIA Jetson AI Edge Computers (JCO Series)
World-Class Safety Standards Certifications
Since these industrial computers are deployed into critical AGV and AMR applications, reliability and safety is often mission-critical. AGV system failure can lead to detrimental downtime and can become hazardous on the premises. Edge computing manufacturers, like Premio, acknowledge the criticality of consistent reliability and opt for testing and validation from NRTLs (Nationally Recognized Third-Party Laboratories). UL-Listed certification verifies that the product has undergone thorough inspections and has met all stated product claims for safety; allowing end users to quickly assess its compliance with safety standards for deployment confidence and peace of mind in their AGV and AMR system builds.
Fanless & Cableless Design
Industrial computers follow a fanless and cableless design to enable key ruggedized features. Fans are a common failure point and are susceptible to single-failure point vulnerability. With passive cooling through a ruggedized fanless design, it ensures that the industrial computer’s chassis is fully enclosed, allowing support for a wide operating temperature range, resistance against shock and vibration, and wide power input range. Furthermore, the lack of cables eliminates the risk of cable failure and potential cable unplugging during its operational lifetime.
Industrial-Grade Longevity and Embedded Lifecycle Support
Long-term product support is often overlooked but crucial for AGV and AMR deployments' success and cost structure. Unlike consumer-grade computers with product lifecycles of 3-5 years, industrial-grade have support lifecycles of up to 15 years. Semiconductor manufacturers, like Intel and AMD, and software developers, like Microsoft, have identified this concern and developed solutions that follow an embedded roadmap for long-term product lifecycle support. Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 11 Enterprise IoT LTSC, Intel’s Edge and Embedded Processors, and AMD’s Ryzen Embedded Processors are all solutions that offer long-term embedded product lifecycle support.
In the case of rugged edge computing manufacturers, like Premio, our engineers integrate these embedded-centric hardware and software into their industrial computing solutions for prolonged support capabilities and embedded reliability. AGV and AMR integrators typically establish partnerships with edge computing manufacturers because of their accommodating lifecycle support and expertise on the latest computing architectures that balance performance and power efficiency. This avoids the need to make deployment revisions due to end-of-life product updates that can cause mission-critical downtime and delays.
Now that you understand how industrial computers play a critical role in AGV and AMR deployments, connect with an expert at Premio to assist you in developing the most optimized AGV/AMR computing solution!