Logistics robot heat is booming: logistics intelligent change will logistics robot heat to the climax, AGV / AMR / unmanned forklift and other logistics robot R & D and landing efforts continue to increase, two-dimensional code, laser/vision SLAM products account for nearly 90% of the robot market, extreme Zhijia, fast warehouse, and other companies have to join the track.
The focus of each country supports the promotion of logistics robots: So far in 2018, the promotion of modern logistics has been increasing, and all of them are inseparable from the application of intelligent equipment such as logistics robots.
The penetration rate of logistics robots is still low. The hundreds of billions of dollars of the market are waiting to be tapped: although the heat of logistics robots is booming, and the market size is more than 5 billion dollars, the current penetration rate is minimal, and the penetration rate of unmanned forklifts is only 5%.
Technical difficulties need to be broken through, and the training of talents needs to increase efforts: logistics still have more links and can not realize the intelligence, such as loading and unloading links; the industry is waiting for innovative breakthroughs in the emergence of products, the need for society to pay attention to the directional training of talents.
The importance of unmanned equipment in the logistics industry
The logistics industry is a labor-intensive industry, and stimulated by the new crown epidemic, the logistics industry changes and upgrades, replacing the workforce with machines to reduce the workforce impact brought by the outside world in the future. 2020 began, logistics technology investment started to blossom in full swing, and the entire layout of the logistics intelligent technology research and development to accelerate the landing of the smart and the realization.
Total social logistics volume and comparable GDP growth in each quarter from 2015 to 2021
Since 2020, the growth rate of total social logistics has continued to be higher than GDP growth, and the coefficient of logistics demand has continued to improve, indicating that the recovery of physical logistics, such as production and consumption, has maintained good momentum in the face of persistent epidemic pressure.
The logistics industry is labor-intensive, and with the outbreak of the new crown epidemic at the end of 2019, China’s logistics industry, including warehousing and e-commerce sectors, has been hit hard to varying degrees. Accelerating the intelligent landing of the logistics industry has become a top priority.
Proportion of investment in logistics technology segments
From the point of view of logistics industry technology investment, logistics intelligent technology development and landing has become a strategic focus, and other areas are also synchronized flowering.
Logistics Robot AGV/ AMR/ Unmanned Forklift Technology and Market Application
Technology in smart logistics
The traditional logistics industry has taken advantage of the development of science and technology to achieve intelligent logistics transformation through the use of scientific and technological equipment, information management systems, and logistics technologies such as big data technology. Logistics robots, bright express cabinets, and other equipment have recently appeared widely in people’s visions, attracting industry attention.
The warehousing link is the most intelligent link in the current logistics, so this report also takes the logistics robots in the warehousing link as the research object.
Intelligent development process
With industrial upgrading, the complexity of business chains in high-end industries such as electronics, automobiles, and pharmaceuticals has increased, and the emphasis on warehousing quality and the requirements for cost control has continued to grow, promoting the rapid development of warehousing automation.
Logistics robots in warehousing logistics
Logistics Robot-AGV/AMR/Unmanned Forklift
The industry refers to AGV and AMR as logistics robots and unmanned forklifts are used to replace manual forklifts. The three significant logistics robots are not product updates but complement each other to build modern smart logistics jointly
| Name | （Automated Guided Vehicle） | （Autonomous Mobile Robot） | Unmanned forklift/ forklift AGV |
| Appearance time | The world’s first AGV appeared in 1953 | A new type of robot developed after conventional AGVs | Applications started around 2000 |
| Handling mode | Mobile jacking robots | Mobile jacking robots | Mobile robots |
| Navigation mode | Magnetic navigation, QR code navigation | Laser SLAM, Vision SLAM navigation | Laser SLAM, vision SLAM navigation |
| Route Planning | Travels on a track path | Trackless autonomous path planning | Trackless can plan paths autonomously |
| Load weight/lift height | 100-1000 kg / 50-60 mm | 100-1000 kg/50-60 mm | 1-3 tons / 2-8 meters |
| Objects to be transported | Shelves, parcels | Shelves | Pallets, cages |
| Scenarios | Picking/sorting | Handling | Handling |
Application scenarios and technical requirements of AGV/AMR
AGV and AMR involve a variety of navigation technologies, but they can be mainly divided into QR code products and pure SLAM products according to market usage, which currently occupy nearly 90% of the market space. Robots with different technological developments have different application scenario requirements.
Application scenarios and technical requirements of unmanned forklifts
The current penetration rate of unmanned forklifts battery is low, only 5%, because the current unmanned forklift technology is limited, but the market requirements for forklifts are relatively high. Therefore, based on the current SLAM technology, unmanned forklifts cannot replace manual ones.
Express sorting center
Pain points: 24-hour continuous operation is required during peak periods, and the battery needs to support quick battery replacement or wireless charging.
Solution: modular battery design (5-minute replacement) + intelligent charging pile network.
Manufacturing and automotive industries
Case example: An automotive factory deployed 200 AGVs, which extended battery life by 20% through the TMS, saving $1.2 million annually.
Cold chain logistics
Special requirements: Stable battery performance in a -20°C environment, requiring a customized heating system and insulation materials.
Market overview
Explosive growth of the logistics automation market
According to a 2024 research report by HYPERS, the global logistics robotics market is expected to exceed 100 billion US dollars by 2024, with AGVs/AMRs as the core equipment occupying a critical share. The growth rate of the Chinese market is particularly significant, with sales of logistics robots reaching 153,000 units in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 33.6%, while prices continue to decline. This trend provides a vast market space for AGV battery suppliers.
Differentiated needs in regional markets
From a global perspective, India, China, the Middle East, and Africa are the fastest-growing markets for logistics robots (Figure 3). India accounts for 35% of the global market share, and its rapid development of e-commerce and manufacturing has created demand for cost-effective AGV batteries. In contrast, the European and American markets are more concerned with batteries’ intelligence and environmental performance.
| Regional market | Key needs | Core challenges |
|---|---|---|
| India | Low cost, high durability | High-temperature environment adaptability |
| Europe and the US | Long battery life and fast charging | Compliance with carbon emission regulations |
| Middle East | Dust and sand protection design | Localization of the supply chain |
Technology improvement – from endurance to intelligence
Upgraded core performance indicators
The competitiveness of AGV batteries depends on four major dimensions:
- Endurance: The operating time of a single charge needs to cover an 8-12 hour work cycle.
- Charging speed: Fast charging technology (e.g., 30 minutes to 80%) reduces downtime.
- Cycle life: ≥2000 cycles, reducing total cost of ownership (TCO).
- Safety: Explosion-proof design and thermal management system (TMS) ensure stable operation.
Intelligent integration with 5G
Real-time monitoring of battery status and predictive maintenance through 5G technology (Figure 4). For example
- Dynamic route optimization: Automatically adjust task allocation based on remaining battery power.
- Remote diagnosis: Cloud-based analysis of battery health status to provide early warning of faults.
Environmental protection and sustainability
Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) batteries have become mainstream due to their low pollution and high safety, while solid-state battery technology is expected to be gradually commercialized after 2027 (Table 1).
| Battery type | Energy density (Wh/kg) | Cycle life | Applicable scenarios |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conventional lead-acid battery | 30-50 | 500-800 | Low-cost, low-load scenarios |
| Lithium iron phosphate (LiFePO4) | 90-120 | 2000+ | Medium-high load, high-frequency operation |
| Solid-state batteries (experimental stage) | 300-400 | 5000+ | Future demand for high density and long battery life |
Global leading battery company
Company | Core strengths | Market share |
|---|---|---|
CATL | High energy density, global supply chain | 25% |
LG Energy | Fast charging technology, compliance with European and American market regulations | 18% |
BYD | Cost control, emerging market penetration | 15% |
Regional challenges
- India: Local companies such as Exide focus on lead-acid batteries, but the penetration of lithium batteries is less than 10%.
- Europe: Northvolt has received policy support due to its carbon-neutral factory.
How to choose and optimize the AGV battery solution
Selection criteria
- Match the scenario: LiFePO4 for high loads, lead-acid for low-cost scenarios.
- Supplier evaluation: verify TMS technology and after-sales response speed.
Cost optimization strategy
- Battery leasing model: pay according to the length of use to reduce initial investment.
- Old battery recycling: cooperate with suppliers to achieve cascaded utilization.
Take action now to seize the market opportunity
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