Singapore-based Sesto Robotics has launched a new autonomous mobile robot (AMR) designed to automate material handling processes in manufacturing, commercial and healthcare industries.
Sesto Magnus is a bi-directional compact AMR able to carry loads up to 300kg, which the company claims is the “highest payload rating in the compact class”.
Built for navigation in space-scarce facilities, Sesto Magnus is able to autonomously travel through spaces as narrow as 0.9m wide while avoiding obstacles in its path. What’s more, its bi-directional same-speed capability means the AMR can reverse out of dead-ends without doing a spot turn.
Ang Chor Chen, chief executive of Sesto Robotics, said: “With the world easing into the Covid-19 new normal, there is an accelerated urgency for manufacturers and non-manufacturing industries to quickly automate their processes while ensuring safe management measures such as staggered workforce or spilt team arrangements.
“Sesto Magnus’ small and low profile is designed with manufacturing, healthcare and commercial facilities in mind. Its intelligent software controls enable it to operate safely in narrow passageways and amongst people.”
Using a single mobile platform, Sesto Magnus is designed to be highly versatile and its top module can be configured to carry everything from components and parts in manufacturing, to laundry and meal services in hospitality and care facilities, and central sterile services and dispensaries in hospitals.
Ang added: “Current manual handling and transportation processes are often time-consuming and error-prone. In addition, repeated manual handling of heavy loads may lead to labour injuries and accidents.
“With Sesto Magnus, it reduces the dependency on manual labour, which has become a priority for many companies in recent months, as Covid-19 caused major disruptions to the availability of on-premise employees.”
Powered by Sesto Robotics’ proprietary interface, operators can deploy Sesto Magnus for material transportation using a tablet or laptop. The robot provides up to 10 hours uptime on a single charge and fast battery charging in three hours.
Equipped with low-range 270-degree 2D lidar sensors on the front and rear, Magnus is designed to ensure safety with improved navigation and obstacle detection capabilities. For example, in a busy narrow corridor of a healthcare facility, Sesto Magnus will stop once it detects an obstacle in its path, such as a trolley or a wheelchair. It will then wait for the obstacle to be cleared or reroute itself after some time.
