Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have been an integral part of production and warehouse logistics in industry for years. They transport materials precisely and reliably, twenty-four hours a day. Despite the fact that the systems are highly automated, human-to-machine communication is still required, for example for maintenance, troubleshooting and to ensure control of the automated guided vehicles. In most cases, a stationary or wired operating system is used for this purpose. Although these are robust and reliable, they are very limited in their application and have significant disadvantages compared to a mobile and wireless operating system.

With the TÜV-certified M2Smart^® HMI operating system, ACD Elektronik has launched a touch-based, mobile and wireless system that has been developed particularly for the safe and secure operation of AGVs. In contrast to operating the AGVs using conventional methods, such as control buttons on the vehicle or wired remote controls, the M2Smart^® HMI operating system from ACD Elektronik offers some significant advantages. By using a wireless HMI, work can be started quickly and easily with any AGV in a fleet. Particularly in large production halls and dynamic warehouse environments, a mobile HMI saves a considerable amount of time and prevents costly delays. In the event of a problem or malfunction, the employee can quickly go to the corresponding AGV with the M2Smart^® HMI, evaluate the situation directly on site and, in the best case, can quickly and efficiently rectify the problem or malfunction directly on the vehicle. Other advantages that wireless operating systems have over wired systems when controlling AGVs are that the operator can control all AGVs in a fleet with just one operating device, provided they are equipped with the necessary technology. Often, the AGVs in production plants are equipped with additional devices such as lifting systems or clamping devices. Thanks to the purely touch-based operating concept, ACD Elektronik’s devices offer a high degree of flexibility in the design of the user interfaces, which make it possible to flexibly map all the necessary operating functions.

Our M2Smart^® HMI can be quickly and easily connected via NFC tag to a gateway connected to the AGV control system, the M2Smart^® Gateway. The NFC tag can be attached to the AGV at different points, allowing the user to establish the connection between the HMI and the AGV quickly, ergonomically and efficiently. This pairing method also makes it possible for the employee to switch between different AGVs with little effort. It also enables the employee to operate and monitor several vehicles in quick succession. To ensure data security, the data is transmitted wirelessly via two different paths in the M2Smart^® HMI system from ACD Elektronik. The transmission of safety related data takes place via a BT-compatible close-range network secured by a black channel. This ensures data security even with mobile data transmission and a performance level d can be achieved. The non-safety-related data, for example for visualization via browser, app or web app, can be transmitted via two different radio links with our M2Smart^® HMI system. Either also via BT-compatible close-range network or via WiFi. Therefore an existing WiFi can be used or, alternatively, the M2Smart^® HMI Access Points, which are attached to the vehicles and ensure a permanently stable connection. The option of using both BT-compatible close-range network and WiFi to transfer non-safety-related data ensures that the M2Smart^® HMI remains as flexible as possible and can be used in almost any work environment, particularly in automotive manufacturing or for controlling robots. To ensure that our mobile HMI meets industrial safety standards, it is of course equipped with an illuminated emergency stop button.