Effect of Selected Optical Navigation Methods on the Energy Consumption of Automated Guided Vehicles

The study compares the performance parameters of an Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) equipped with optical navigation, focusing on two solutions: one utilizing reflective optocouplers and the other employing a camera. These components, commonly used in AGV optical navigation systems, differ in factors such as cost and the sophistication of control methods. The primary objective of the research was to evaluate the performance criteria of the analyzed optical navigation methods, with particular attention paid to electricity consumption, power profiles during specific transit tasks, and total transit time. The analysis also investigated two potential installation locations for the reflective optocouplers and the camera on the vehicle. The results indicate that the camera-based optical navigation method is more efficient. Specifically, the average energy consumption was approximately 26% lower when using the camera compared to the reflective optocouplers. Furthermore, the study revealed that the location of the camera had minimal influence on the vehicle’s energy consumption, whereas the location of the reflective optocouplers significantly affected energy usage.