What Are AMRs and AGVs?
AMRs (autonomous mobile robots) and AGVs (automated guided vehicles) are driverless vehicles that move product through a facility. AGVs follow fixed paths defined by wire, tape, or reflectors; AMRs navigate dynamically with sensors and maps, rerouting around people and pallets in real time.
The practical difference: AGVs excel at repetitive point-to-point moves at industrial duty cycles, while AMRs shine where flexibility matters and layouts change. Most modern deployments lean AMR, but the right answer follows the workflow.
The Main Types of Mobile Robots
Pick-assist AMRs
Robots that meet pickers in the aisle, carry the order, and drive it to pack, cutting walking dramatically without changing racking.
Autonomous tuggers and carts
Point-to-point transport for totes, carts, and kitting routes between departments.
Pallet-moving AMRs and AGVs
Driverless pallet jacks and counterbalance units moving full pallets dock-to-stock and line-side.
Shelf-to-person robots
Fleets that carry entire shelving pods to pick stations, the original large-scale GTP model.
Case-handling robots (ACR)
Tote-climbing robots that pull cases from tall shelving for dense, building-friendly automation.
Autonomous forklifts
Sensor-guided lift trucks for repetitive put-away and retrieval in structured areas.
How MTLI Works With AMRs and AGVs
Design & Engineering
It starts with your data, not a catalog: throughput, product profile, building, and budget. Our engineers design the right answer, with stamped drawings and permits where structures are involved.
Supply & Procurement
We source across 500+ manufacturer partners worldwide, brand-agnostic, new and used where it makes sense, with volume pricing passed through to you.
Installation & Commissioning
Our own crews install, integrate, and commission, phased around live operations when needed, with an MTLI supervisor on site every day and 98% on-time delivery.
Support & Lifecycle
After handover we stay: preventative maintenance programs, inspections, controls support, and 24/7 options, designed around your uptime targets.
Where MTLI Can Help You
- Cutting picker walking without touching existing racking
- Dock-to-stock and replenishment runs that tie up lift drivers
- Facilities where layouts change too often for fixed conveyor
- Labor markets where staffing shifts is the daily crisis
- Phased automation pilots that must prove ROI in months
- Integrating robot fleets with WMS, conveyor, and pick systems
From under $100K to $100M+ turnkey. A specialist calls within one business day.
Common Questions, Answered
AMR or conveyor: which should I choose?
Conveyor wins on constant high-volume flows between fixed points; AMRs win on flexibility and speed of deployment. Many facilities need both, and because MTLI installs both, the answer is engineering, not sales.
How fast can a robot fleet deploy?
Pilot fleets commonly deploy in weeks, not years, with minimal construction. That makes AMRs one of the fastest automation paybacks available, often inside 18 months.
Do robots work alongside my people safely?
Yes. Modern AMRs are safety-rated to work around people, and our deployment includes traffic planning, floor marking, and training so the fleet earns trust from week one.
Who supports the fleet long term?
MTLI provides installation, integration, and ongoing support, including battery, sensor, and software lifecycle management within a full maintenance program.