This document analyzes how internet of things (IoT) technology is being applied to automated guided vehicles (AGVs). It summarizes findings from analyzing thousands of scientific articles and patent families related to IoT and AGV terms. The analysis shows that control is a leading area of research in AGVs and maps out the ecosystem and components involved in AGV systems. It identifies trends over time in areas like sensors used for control and countries active in patenting. The conclusion is that IoT is allowing predictive control and optimization of AGVs while offering new services, and its use will continue increasing as the supporting technologies evolve.

1. How Internet of things is moving
into AGVs
A quick draft analysis done with the help of
VantagePoint and Goldfire, two powerful tools
deployed by Soluciones de Productividad para la
Innovación y el Big Data científico y
tecnológico
Valencia, Spain

2. For this research, more than three thousands scientific articles
from Web of Science and Scopus as well as more than ten
thousands of patent families from the EPO as well as millions of
articles of trusted sources as IEEE, Mc Graw Hill, Springer, SAE,
ASTM etc., have been analyzed
Terms related to Internet of things have been grouped and
analyzed to see who is leading and in what fields.
The result is a short set of analysis to
see where things are moving.

3. What is the system and
the ecosystem in the AGV
and what is the impact of
the IoT ?

4. THE AGV SYSTEM
Powered by Goldfire
A basic model of the functions in an AGV system: are they
enough performant ? Can we set exactly the challenges to be
improved?
To the
ecosystem

5. THE AGV‘ IoT ECOSYSTEM
Source: Harvard Business Review, adapted

6. Control in AGVs is one of the leading terms in research, here the
timeline in scientific activity(nº of publications per year) about the control
of automated guided vehicles and synonyms
Powered by VantagePoint
THE AGV SYSTEM: some trends

7. Leading terms
related to Internet of
Things (IoT) and how
AGVs patenting
companies weigh in
such terms.
The larger the word, the
more cited it is.
Powered by VantagePoint
THE AGV SYSTEM: what do these publictions talk about?

8. Patent classifications: Where leading assignees
distribute their patent strategies in AGVs.
Powered by VantagePoint
Chart of emerging IPC codes
Emergence is calculated in % and should have more
than one in every three years G08G 1/16 ‘Traffic
control systems…’

9. navigation sensor
position sensor
infrared sensor
ultrasonic sensor
Hall effect sensor array
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
1985
1987
1988
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
navigation sensor
magnetic sensor
position sensor
obstacle sensor
infrared sensor
optical sensor
ultrasonic sensor
angle sensor
Hall effect sensor array
What are the most patent cited sensors for
controling AGVs ? What is their rythm of evolution?
Powered by VantagePoint

10. Assessing
collaborations
based on
authors
To notice the collaboration
between the Delft University of
Netherland and Toyota the
‘Keiretsu ‘manufacturer
Powered by VantagePoint

11. Getting direct answers instead of a pile of documents, the productivity of
your R&D team will sky rocket everyday
Using tailored
synonyms
Powered by Goldfire

12. One possible lens for getting
rapid answers: failures of AGVs
and number of articles from
which they were extracted
Powered by Goldfire

13. Powered by Goldfire
THE AGV SYSTEM: customer sentiment

14. In which countries are patent assignees
concentrated?
Powered by VantagePoint

15. Powered by VantagePoint
THE AGV SYSTEM: a quick view
Selecting all the terms related to IoT : what are the companies, who the
inventors, what the trend, what the articles, what the Countries, etc.

16. A quick first Conclusion:
The internet of things, its communication and sensor technology is
allowing companies to control & fix predictively, to propose &
optimize smart routes for the vehicles, to offer added services to
customers…
Its penetration is increasing
The advance of IoT depends on the rhythm of advance of its
ecosystem technologies and the payers behind. Companies should
keep an eye into all these, not to be late or too early.
thank you !
THE AGV SYSTEM