The world of logistics today is interfacing with new changes aimed at automating warehouse management. Prominent among these is the use of robots, such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs), to increase efficiency and productivity. However, few articles in scientific literature assess their environmental impact. This research analyses an industrial contest in the automotive sector in which an AMR was implemented to manage some components of a car. As an alternative, the implementation of an AGV to perform the same function was evaluated. Primary and secondary data were collected where possible to complete the inventory analysis of the two scenarios, and then a Life Cycle Assessment was carried out using the SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent database. The two robots were assessed according to their cradle-to-grave Global Warming Potential (GWP), starting from the extraction of raw materials to the use phase and final disposal. A sensitivity analysis then commented on the results obtained, identifying an impact range of 851 to 1174 kg CO2eq for an AGV, and between 889 and 1112 kg CO2eq for the identified case study.
Life cycle assessment of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV): An environmental comparison / Stefanini, R., Lando, F., Vignali, G.. - In: IFAC PAPERSONLINE. - ISSN 2405-8971. - 59:(2025), pp. 1766-1771. (11th IFAC Conference on Manufacturing Modelling, Management and Control, MIM 2025 Trondheim 30 June 2025 - 3 July 2025).
Life cycle assessment of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGV): An environmental comparison
Stefanini R.
;Vignali G.
2025-01-01
Abstract
The world of logistics today is interfacing with new changes aimed at automating warehouse management. Prominent among these is the use of robots, such as Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) and Autonomous Guided Vehicles (AGVs), to increase efficiency and productivity. However, few articles in scientific literature assess their environmental impact. This research analyses an industrial contest in the automotive sector in which an AMR was implemented to manage some components of a car. As an alternative, the implementation of an AGV to perform the same function was evaluated. Primary and secondary data were collected where possible to complete the inventory analysis of the two scenarios, and then a Life Cycle Assessment was carried out using the SimaPro software and the Ecoinvent database. The two robots were assessed according to their cradle-to-grave Global Warming Potential (GWP), starting from the extraction of raw materials to the use phase and final disposal. A sensitivity analysis then commented on the results obtained, identifying an impact range of 851 to 1174 kg CO2eq for an AGV, and between 889 and 1112 kg CO2eq for the identified case study.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
