Bosch Rexroth and the software company Synaos have, within the framework of their collaboration, integrated the autonomous mobile robot (AMR) “A-MATE Lite” from K.Hartwall into the “SYNAOS Intralogistics Platform”. The vehicle is, according to a press release dated October 7, equipped with Bosch Rexroth’s VDA 5050-compatible “ROKIT” software and is already in productive operation. The project aims to show how, on the basis of the open standard VDA 5050, simple, flexible and scalable automation of heterogeneous fleets can be implemented.
VDA 5050 as a Bridge to the Future
The VDA 5050 communication standard is a key to the successful and easy integration of mobile robots into a fleet management system, the
cooperation partners are convinced.
The VDA 5050-capable navigation software “ROKIT Navigator” from Bosch Rexroth is intended to enable seamless communication between vehicles from different manufacturers and a central fleet management system in the integration. As an integral part of the A-MATE Lite, it ensures its full VDA 5050 compatibility as well as standardized communication, according to the press release. Supplemented by the precise localization software “ROKIT Locator”, the vehicle should become a flexibly deployable building block in any automated fleet.
While, according to the company, the ROKIT software components from Bosch Rexroth are intended to ensure autonomy and VDA 5050 compatibility at the vehicle level, the SYNAOS Intralogistics Platform takes on
the orchestration of the entire fleet. Through this combination of robust robotics and intelligent fleet control, a consistently open, integrated and future-proof system is created, it is said.
Reducing Complexity Through Open Architectures
The alignment of the ROKIT software to open interfaces and the full VDA 5050 compatibility of the ROKIT Navigator are intended to enable easy vehicle onboarding, without time-consuming, proprietary adaptations to the Synaos platform. According to the cooperation partners, the entire onboarding process took place in a very short time and is expected to show how standards can reduce the complexity and costs of deploying autonomous vehicles.
„Our ROKIT software solutions enable robust, open systems that drastically reduce
the complexity of integration,“ explains Jörg Heckel, head of the robotics project at Bosch Rexroth. „The project with the A-MATE Lite shows that vehicles using the ROKIT software solutions can be quickly and efficiently connected to an FMS and brought into operation—regardless of which other systems or vehicle types are in use.“
„Our goal at Synaos is to make operational intralogistics with its diverse participants as efficient and future-proof as possible,“ explains Dr. Philipp Schäfers, Head of Partner Management & Business Development at Synaos. „The fast and easy integration of the A-MATE Lite into our platform based on the VDA 5050 shows how powerful the open approach of Synaos and Bosch
