Autonomous mobile robot (AMR)

An autonomous mobile robot (AMR) moves through a facility on its own, planning routes with onboard sensors and a map, usually built with [SLAM](/glossary/slam). When something blocks its path it reroutes instead of stopping. AMRs carry totes, carts and shelves in warehouses, factories and hospitals, and are often sold as a [service](/glossary/robot-as-a-service).

The distinction matters because AMRs are the flexible successor to the [AGV](/glossary/agv). An AGV follows fixed guidance and stops at an obstacle; an AMR needs no infrastructure changes and can be redeployed by editing a map. That difference drives how fast and how cheaply a site can be automated or reconfigured.