A ‘template’ of 125 distributes parts by the Seat Martorell factory. They travel to the year 435,000 km. (From the Earth to the moon).

A blue light is activated at 5 o’clock in the morning in the engine warehouse. It is from one of the 125 robots that starts its route in one of the workshops of the Seat factory in Martorell, making up to 2,800 trips a day. This is how the so-called free navigation vehicles (AVG) work in an environment worthy of Isaac Asimov.

A perfect synchronized dance with 7,000 operators
This template of 125 robots coexists with a staff of 7,000 workers. The automata, through a barcode, certify what they must load and ask for passage through a sensor that allows to open the doors of the warehouse. The plant resembles a perfectly synchronized dance. Autonomous robots transport motors, gearboxes, shock absorbers or mirrors. They can carry up to 1,500 kilos of weight.

A trip to the moon with traffic lights and pedestrians
Throughout the year, the robots travel more than 436,000 kilometers, a distance with which they could travel sobradamente from Earth to the Moon. In their journey they are able to stop at a red light or brake when a worker crosses their path. They do it thanks to their 360º permitral vision. To coordinate with the ‘pedestrians’ they are notified of their presence with laser scanner lights.

This is how traffic works on the ‘Robot Planet’
Magnetic tracks, hidden under the ground, mark the 40 cyclic routes of the AGV (automatic guided vehicle by its acronym in English) at the Martorell factory. Each of them lasts between 1 and 7 minutes. During this time, the robots circulate automatically reducing the speed in the curves to not lose stability with the load and are able to keep the safety distance. In the future they will be guided by GPS.

Remote control
Five employees configure, and if necessary, remotely modify the route of all AGVs from the control room. A central server gathers the information that is inside each robot. On the screens of the room, where they are symbolized with a number, their exact positions are recorded. A green light indicates that they are in full performance and if it turns yellow, indicates that they are stopped by the detection of an obstacle or charging batteries. The system also evaluates faults.

EXPANSIÓN.COM – Updated: 01/09/2018  (Translation Soft)