The number of required vehicles is subject to various conditions such as buffering stations, driving distances, single-track zones, passing lanes, location of vehicle depots, location of charging tracks, and charging times.

Safety is one of the biggest reasons that people turn to automated guided vehicles (AGVs). People suffer from fatigue and distraction, whereas an AGV is designed to do tedious routines 24/7. The last thing any shop wants is to lose an employee for health and safety reasons but also to a lack of job satisfaction. AGVs can take over those repetitive tasks, freeing up operators to do value-added, meaningful work.

Many people are confused by the acronym AGV, often assuming the A stands for autonomous. However, automated guided vehicles are quite different from autonomous guided vehicles. Obstacle avoidance, which is indicative of autonomous guided vehicles, is a key differentiator between the two. To dispel the confusion, labels like autonomous mobile robots (AMR) tend to be used for autonomous systems rather than automated ones.

One common misconception is assuming obstacle avoidance is necessary on the shop floor, which results in overpaying for features that might not make sense in all cases. AMRs have their place in warehouse logistics and commercial applications environments, which are constantly changing. However, shops must have an objective viewpoint to understand where this functionality is beneficial and where it could be detrimental to the process; where the implementation is impossible because of limited or complex driving environments; and where it has no value, like a fenced area.

AGVs are best-suited for assembly and production logistics, as the environment does not change. They are part of the sequential process (assembly on the vehicle itself) or feed the process (deliver parts). The paths, sources, and targets are all predefined, and no obstacle avoidance is needed.