Mobile robots: the fundamentals
AGV or AMR
An AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle) follows a predefined path using external markers — magnetic tape, QR codes, reflectors. The route is fixed and flexibility limited, but the technology is mature and the cost low.
An AMR (Autonomous Mobile Robot) understands its surroundings through its own sensing, plans its own path without external markers, and drives around obstacles. It is flexible and quick to deploy.
The two terms are used loosely today, and the label matters less than three questions: does the floor need work; does a route change mean new installation; and does the machine wait at an obstacle or drive around it. Jiangsong robots navigate by laser SLAM and use a few QR codes only at docking points, which puts them in the AMR category.