Siemens to add AI and robotics capabilities to AGVs

Siemens has announced plans to integrate its Operations Copilot into driverless transport systems and mobile robots. The Operations Copilot is an industrial copilot for machine operation and maintenance.

As mobile transport robots increasingly operate as autonomous physical agents powered by AI, the Operations Copilot will serve as a user interface for humans. Through this agent-based interface, users will be able to configure autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and automated guided vehicles (AGVs), assigning them tasks like transporting materials and goods across the shop floor. This is yet another building block for automation in a factory with the help of generative AI.

In a next step, Siemens plans to expand the capabilities of the Operations Copilot by introducing AI agents specifically developed for use with AMRs and AGVs. These agents support both the commissioning and operation of individual vehicles and entire fleets. Commissioning in particular is a complex and time-intensive process: AGVs need to be integrated into the factory’s existing IT and OT infrastructure and configured for specific conditions like routes and transfer stations. To streamline this task, Operations Copilot will leverage AGV sensors and cameras to generate a detailed understanding of their environment, and can access relevant technical documentation of the installed components and retrieve real-time system data through its agent interface. This enables commissioning engineers and operators to work more efficiently, resolve issues faster and ensure rapid deployment.

“By integrating both physical and virtual AI agents into our Operations Copilot, we’re unlocking a new dimension of interaction between humans, robotics and AI,” said Rainer Brehm, CEO of Factory Automation at Siemens. “This enables our customers to deploy autonomous transport systems more quickly, operate them efficiently, and enhance safety — bringing us one step closer to a fully autonomous factory.”

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