Accerion’s localization sensor keeps robots precisely on track

After several months of field tests and pilot programs, Accerion has officially launched its Triton localization sensor for mobile robots and automated guided vehicles (AGV). Making good on its promise to offer a 100 percent infrastructure-free localization, the sensor touts a sub-millimeter accuracy that can be used for free navigation, high-precision docking and virtual line following for robots and AGVs in dynamic environments. With this solution, the Venlo-based startup is looking to break into the warehouse fulfillment, manufacturing and logistics arena by offering an unrivaled degree of flexibility, adaptability, speed and precision.

The system consists of an optical sensor, an integrated processing unit and utilizes Accerion’s advanced algorithms. The Triton scans the floor surface beneath robots and uses it as a reference, essentially turning the floor’s surface into a map to provide coordinates to the navigation system, enabling robots to localize themselves within the environment – without the use of lasers, magnetic tape or induction lines. “We pushed hard to get maximum performance out of the hardware. We used a superior camera, expanding the optics’ capabilities,” explains Accerion system engineer, Ruben Vandenheede. “Reliability improved dramatically after we put Triton through the ringer to make sure it’s beyond robust for industrial activities.”