AMR & AGV WarehouseAutomation
Learn what AMRs and AGVs are, how they differ, and how JASCI orchestrates robots, people, and automation across pallet, case, and goods-to-person workflows.
What Is an AMR & AGV?
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs) and Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are autonomous transport systems used in warehouses to move pallets, cases, totes, and carts without manual forklift or cart travel.
While they are often grouped together, AMRs and AGVs are built for very different types of work. Understanding this distinction is critical before designing warehouse automation or selecting robotics technology.
AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots)
AMRs are intelligent, self-navigating robots that use sensors, cameras, and onboard software to move through a warehouse without fixed infrastructure. They dynamically plan their routes, avoid obstacles (including people and other robots), and adapt to changing environments in real time.
- Navigation: LiDAR, vision systems, SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping)
- Best for: Tote transport, cart movement, goods-to-person picking, zone-to-zone transfers
- Payload: Typically lighter loads (totes, cases, small carts)
- Flexibility: High—no floor modifications required, easily redeployed
AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles)
AGVs are heavy-duty transport vehicles that follow predetermined paths using magnetic tape, floor markers, or wire guidance embedded in the warehouse floor. They excel at repetitive, high-volume pallet movement along fixed routes.
- Navigation: Magnetic tape, painted lines, embedded wires, or laser reflectors
- Best for: Pallet transport, forklift replacement, putaway to racking, dock-to-storage moves
- Payload: Heavy loads (full pallets, multiple tons)
- Flexibility: Lower—path changes require physical infrastructure updates
The key difference: AMRs think and adapt; AGVs follow and execute. AMRs are ideal for dynamic environments where routes change frequently. AGVs are ideal for high-volume, predictable transport where maximum payload capacity and reliability matter most.
Many modern warehouses deploy both technologies together—AGVs for heavy pallet moves from receiving to storage, and AMRs for flexible tote delivery to pick stations. JASCI's orchestration layer coordinates both robot types through a single WMS, ensuring seamless handoffs and optimal task assignment.
AMRs
Flexible, intelligent navigation for totes, cases, and carts
AGVs
Heavy-duty pallet transport with vertical lift capability
JASCI Orchestration
Unified control layer that coordinates both robot types
Key Takeaways
AMRs and AGVs solve different warehouse problems
AMRs are optimized for flexible, floor-level workflows
AGVs are optimized for pallet movement and higher lift
Most advanced warehouses use both
JASCI orchestrates AMRs, AGVs, people, and fixed automation together
Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)
AMRs are designed for dynamic, fast-changing warehouse environments.
They navigate using SLAM (Simultaneous Localization and Mapping) or 2D barcodes embedded in the floor. AMRs operate primarily at floor level and adapt easily to changing layouts, order profiles, and workflows.
AMRs are widely used in eCommerce, 3PL, and omni-channel fulfillment where flexibility and speed matter more than lift height.
Typical AMR Use Cases
Typical AGV Use Cases
Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs)
AGVs are designed for heavy, structured pallet movement.
They typically carry full pallets without pallet stands and include counterbalance weight that allows them to lift pallets to higher vertical elevations. AGVs follow more structured paths and are optimized for consistent, high-throughput pallet transport.
AGVs are commonly deployed in pallet-intensive warehouses with high inbound and outbound volume.
AMRs and AGVs Are Complementary
AMRs and AGVs are not competing technologies.
AGVs Handle
Pallet movement, receiving, and reserve storage
AMRs Handle
Floor-level picking, goods-to-person, and flexible transport
Both can be used for pick-and-delivery workflows.
The real challenge is coordinating them intelligently.
That coordination layer is orchestration.
What Is AMR & AGV Orchestration?
AMR & AGV orchestration is the decision-making layer that determines:
What should move
When it should move
Which resource should move it
Robots are very good at movement. They know how to navigate, avoid obstacles, lift loads, and execute tasks once assigned.
What robots do not know is:
That logic lives above the robots. JASCI provides this orchestration layer.
Why Orchestration Is Required
Without orchestration, robots operate in isolation.
Each robot fleet system may execute tasks efficiently, but it does not understand order priority and shipping cutoffs, inventory strategy, labor availability, downstream bottlenecks, or overall warehouse demand.
This often results in robots moving product that does not need to move yet, while higher-priority work waits.
Orchestration ensures robots always work on the right task at the right time.
A Simple Warehouse Example
Scenario: Pallets are received in the morning. AGVs move pallets into reserve storage. AMRs are available on the floor. Same-day orders begin dropping.
Without Orchestration
Robots are active, but shipping is delayed.
With JASCI Orchestration
No manual triggers.
No wasted robot movement.
No missed cutoffs.
What JASCI Orchestrates
JASCI continuously evaluates live operational data, including:
JASCI Evaluates
Based on This, JASCI Decides
How JASCI Works with Robots
How JASCI Works with AMRs
For AMR-based workflows
AMRs remain flexible.
JASCI controls sequencing and priority.
How JASCI Works with AGVs
For pallet-centric workflows
AGVs handle heavy lift.
JASCI controls timing and demand.
Closed-Loop Execution & Recovery
Orchestration does not stop once work is released.
JASCI:
This closed-loop model prevents stranded pallets, lost work, and manual recovery.
Open, Vendor-Agnostic Robotics Platform
JASCI is built as an open execution platform, not a closed robotics ecosystem.
Supported Robotics Ecosystem
JASCI works with leading AMR and AGV providers, including:
Additional vendors can be added without re-architecting the WMS.
The JASCI Advantage
JASCI was designed for mixed automation environments.
Robots move product.
JASCI decides what should move and when.
Ready to Orchestrate Your Robot Fleet?
See how JASCI can coordinate AMRs, AGVs, people, and automation for maximum warehouse efficiency.