Smart Mobile Robots are Everywhere

In 2012 Kiva, a supplier of mobile robots, was bought for $775 million by Amazon. That was a home run for the company which had estimated revenues of about $100 million at the time. Some entrepreneurs and venture capitalists believe, or at least argue, that autonomous mobile robots represent the next revolution in material handling. Automatic guided vehicles carry goods from one point to another in a warehouse or factory on predetermined paths. In contrast, autonomous mobile robots may have a preferred path to get from A to B, but can take alternative routes if there are obstacles or congestion.