IFOY Audit
Finalists undergo the three-stage IFOY Audit as part of the IFOY Audit, which takes place during the TEST CAMP INTRALOGISTICS. This consists of the scientific IFOY Innovation Check, the IFOY Test and the jury test.
arculus Fleet
arculus GmbH
arculus Fleet is a multi vendor fleet management system. It enables customers to operate AGVs from different vendors in the same space via the standardised VDA5050 interface. Core features are the design and optimisation of layouts, envelope based intelligent traffic management, and traffic based dynamic path planning. As part of the arculus Modular Production System, it can be implemented as a standalone solution or in combination with arculus Warehouse (goods-to-person logistics) or arculus Modular Production (dynamic product flow).
Product name and company
arculus Fleet – arculus GmbH
Category
Intralogistics Software
Description
arculus Fleet can be used in any inhouse industrial environment for traffic management of any AGV, regardless of its navigation technology, kinematic and dimension. arculus Fleet communicates via the industry-standard VDA5050 interface.
It covers three different processes:
- Plan and layout (Build)
- Simulation (Simulate)
- Operation (Operate)
In Build mode, all necessary objects are configured:
- Driveways (including directions and speed limits)
- Fleets of AGVs (with dimensions, brake/ acceleration limits, compatible carriers, energy consumption)
- Transport objects (dimensions, orientations)
- Machinery interaction (automatic stations, roller doors, charging stations)
In Simulation mode, the layout can be verified via representative transport orders, deriving KPIs such as transport times, AGV utilisation, and traffic heatmaps. The optimised layout can be used directly to operate the system.
During Operation mode, designated operator and management views (2D/3D layout, error recovery, job lists) are available and allow an intuitive and robust operation and management of the system.
Innovations
The main differentiators of arculus Fleet are:
- An open interface for integration of any AGV/AMR via VDA5050
- Dynamic path planning based on live traffic information
- Vertical integration with arculus Warehouse Management (goods to person) and arculus Modular Production (dynamic product flow)
arculus has been part of the VDA and VDMA activity for standardising the AGV interface and has a deep understanding of robotics. This allows for fast integration and onboarding of new vendors. Mixed use-cases with fleets of multiple vendors will allow for efficiency gains and optimised economics.
Dynamic path planning works like navigation systems such as Google Maps. Source-sink relationships are no longer predetermined but calculated at runtime. Sources and sinks are connected to driveways, allowing the traffic management algorithm to derive the optimal path according to the current traffic in the system.
Due to the vertical integration, use cases are not limited to material handling (i.e., delivering material from a warehouse to an assembly line). Goods-to-person logistics and modular production functionality can be added while still using the same fleet management.
Market relevance
arculus Fleet is a versatile system for use cases across all verticals, thus addressing the warehouse automation market of 30 Billion US-Dollar. More and more customers are looking for generic fleet management instead of operating proprietary solutions for each fleet. The arculus Fleet is operated live at customers such as AUDI (https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/de/pressemitteilungen/innovationssprung-in-der-logistikaudi-entwickelt-ersten-supermarkt-20-fuer-die-automobilindustrie-12950) helping to generate efficiency gains and space savings.
Competitors:
- Synaos GmbH (syna.os logistics)
- Siemens AG (simove)
Customer benefits
- Smart routing and re-routing based on live traffic information
- Predictive path planning to prevent the risk of congestion
- Traffic control based on dynamic trajectory envelopes for each AMR
- Planning, simulation, operation, and optimization in one system
- Dedicated views for operators, servicing and management
- 2D/3D visualization and monitoring, customized reports
- Core module for goods-to-person and modular production
Test report
With arculus Fleet, arculus presents a manufacturer-independent fleet management system for AGVs. The system makes it possible to use autonomous vehicles from different suppliers in the same space, regardless of the navigation technology, the kinematic properties and the dimensions of the AGVs. The basis is the standardised VDA5050 interface.
arculus Fleet is part of the arculus Modular Production System and can be used with arculus Warehouse (for goods-to-person logistics) or arculus Modular Productiuon (for dynamic flow of goods). The system can also be implemented as a stand-alone solution. The functionalities are always the same regardless of the selection mentioned.
Besides the design and optimisation of layouts, arculus Fleet enables dynamic route planning based on the current traffic situation. Intelligent traffic management is also one of the core tasks of the system. For this, all necessary objects must first be configured (in build mode). These include driving instructions and speed limits, but also dimensions, acceleration and braking capacity, energy consumption, dimensions and orientation of the loads to be transported, any rolling gates, loading stations, etc. Subsequently, the layout is verified in simulation mode, whereupon all important KPIs can be derived, including transport times, AGV utilisation and possible traffic bottlenecks, among others. The optimised layout can be used immediately to operate the plant.
In operation mode, specific operational and management information is available, enabling intuitive operation and management of the system.
IFOY Test Verdict
The use of a standardised interface opens up possibilities for the mixed operation of automated warehouse vehicles that were unthinkable in practice until recently. The fact that arculus Fleet is brand-independent facilitates the selection of the most suitable AGV for a specific transport requirement. Since the system takes into account the current traffic situation on site for dynamic routings, even higher efficiency and availability is possible.
IFOY Innovation Check
Market relevance
The tool is a manufacturer-independent management system (master control) for transport systems. Due to the large number of automated solutions in the transport sector, the system is of very high relevance.
Customer benefit
When using several transport systems in one environment, the connection of the transport systems to the ERP system can take over the entire order and traffic control in a manufacturer-neutral manner.
Novelty
With existing interfaces (VDA), one solution can be used for different connections..
Functionality / type of implementation
The tool is not very elaborately designed graphically, but has been implemented in a way that is easy to use. It has been designed to be manufacturer-independent and thus optimises the overall system. The system seems to contradict the goal of decentralisation, but for a certain time it is certainly useful. One disadvantage: interfaces must be available or programmed in an elaborate way.
| Functionality / type of implementation | Ø |
| Novelty / Innovation | Ø |
| Customer benefits | + |
| Market relevance | ++ |
| ++ very good / + good / Ø balanced / – less / — not available | |
Videos
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Image/video credits: arculus GmbH
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Statutes
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Committees
The International Intralogistics and Forklift Truck of the Year has three bodies: Jury, sponsors, and advisory board.