© Fraunhofer IPA

... the IPA scientists show how automated guided vehicles (AGVs) with distributed computing power can move autonomously in production. "The cloud is decentralized, so to speak. In addition to the central server, the AGVs also have a local computer," explains the expert. With this solution, also known as fog or edge computing, the vehicles can independently resolve local conflicts during path planning. Based on the environmental data, they calculate whether there is actually a blockage or whether it is possible to take evasive action or adjust speed at runtime. Furthermore, the shared computing architecture allows the individual units to be dynamically loaded with software.