Bierbaum uses autonomous transport robots to optimize intralogistics processes. Four proANT 490 models made by InSystems Automation travel back and forth between the dye kitchen and the printing presses, transporting open plastic buckets weighing up to 100 kg through the production lines. The robots autonomously determine the optimal route and work at an average speed of 1 m/s. A SICK safety laser scanner monitors the environment and reacts on the basis of speed-dependent protective fields in order to avoid collisions with objects or people. The robots choose an alternate route if necessary.

The vehicles also use a protected Wi-Fi connection to communicate with each other as well as with fleet and order management. Newly added robots merely need to be registered with the fleet manager. The newcomer is integrated right away, giving the easy-to-integrate solution a high degree of scalability.

Logistics is nevertheless only one of many sectors where robots are making an impact as disruptive technologies in the industrial context. The eighth edition of the "KPMG Klardenker live" platform in Hamburg on September 5, 2018 is providing an overview of the possible uses and the future of robotics and artificial intelligence – from production to warehousing to the back office.