An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is a driverless industrial truck that moves loads along defined routes using guidance such as markers, magnetic tape or laser navigation; an autonomous mobile robot (AMR) plans its own path.
AGV forklifts and tuggers handle repetitive moves such as pallet transfers between production and storage. They carry their own safety sensors, typically safety laser scanners with protective fields that slow and stop the vehicle when a person enters. Their design and use are covered by ISO 3691-4 and, in the US, by ANSI/ITSDF B56.5 for guided industrial vehicles. AMRs plan routes around obstacles, which makes their paths less predictable for pedestrians.
The hazards shift rather than disappear. People may not expect a driverless truck, load handling at pick-up and drop-off points can be a hazard, and manned forklifts sharing aisles with AGVs create mixed-traffic rules that need planning. Safety depends on the system as installed, including routes, zones and site rules, not only the vehicle’s sensors. A collision warning system built for manned forklifts is not a substitute for the AGV’s own safety-rated sensing. The AGV forklift safety guide explains the standards and site measures.