Material handling involves the movement, packing, and storage of materials mechanically or manually. Common material handling equipment includes wheeled trolleys, forklift trucks, trailers, conveyors, overhead cranes, industrial robots, and automated guided vehicles. Each type of equipment has different uses depending on the load size, distance required for movement, and whether vertical or horizontal movement is needed. Industrial robots can handle hot or radioactive materials and are used for welding, while automated guided vehicles follow defined pathways to automatically load and unload goods in integrated automation systems.