Robots in Swarms
Interview with David Niedermaier, Managing Director & CTO of AGILOX Services GmbH
Making people's lives safer in their work environment was the vision from the start. Today, AGILOX Services GmbH is a technology leader in the field of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMR) for warehouse and production logistics. Their vehicles are so intelligent that they interact with each other. This pays off multiple times for the customers.
Robots were not always the main focus for CTO and co-founder of AGILOX David Niedermaier and his co-founders. Originally started as a consulting firm, the company quickly evolved into a software company with a full focus on developing a unique warehouse management software. 'Since the field is very consulting-intensive, we increasingly became a software consulting firm and also became a general contractor,' David Niedermaier recounts. Then, around 2014, came what is now seen as a historically important project: 'We set up a warehouse management system for a client, for which we were supposed to purchase AGVs – Automated Guided Vehicles. This gave us insight into the state of the art. We realized that usability and sensor technology were major issues, so we were convinced that we could offer such a product with twice the quality and higher safety standards for the market.'
Since the underlying idea was always to build a product company, we had already formed reserves," reported David Niedermaier. So, he and five colleagues founded the company AGILOX. In 2017, AGILOX launched its first product – the AGILOX ONE, a robot based on the self-service and plug-and-perform concept – on the market. They have remained true to their vision to this day: "We want to offer the simplest system for users." Two investors are now on board, the largest being the Carlyle Group since 2021. "It represents global impact. With them, we are developing AGILOX sustainably," emphasizes the CTO. Over the past few years, even during crisis years, the company has grown by about 40% annually. AGILOX employs about 250 people worldwide at its headquarters in Austria as well as at locations in Germany, France, North America, Spain, and China. "In the Forklift AMR segment, we are already an important and well-known international brand," says David Niedermaier.
Autonomous Driving in a Swarm
"Autonomous driving is a big and complex topic. We are familiar with this from road traffic. Our goal is to make the handling and usability of our products as easy as possible for the user, despite the complexity," says David Niedermaier. AGILOX's products are standard products with a variety of features that make them flexible and applicable for numerous applications. All are operated using the same AI-based software stack. "The first product AGILOX ONE is still the most important, the flexible classic," reports the CEO. The AMR is available in several variants. A world first, AGILOX OFL, will be presented by the company in March at LogiMAT in Stuttgart, he announces. "All our vehicles are characterized by their high-quality and modern appearance and a pleasantly designed user interface," says the CTO. Other unique features of the fleet include easy integration, open interfaces, and intuitive basic operation. Thanks to X-SWARM Technology, the AMRs have swarm intelligence, allowing them to communicate and interact independently of a central computer. For customers, the use of AGILOX AMRs pays off in other ways as well: "AGILOX ONE is over 65% more energy-efficient than a forklift," David Niedermaier emphasizes and mentions a number of benefits the company provides with its products: "The swarms can be dynamically changed. For our customers, there are no hidden costs, as we work with clear cost transparency and thus enable our customers to have a complete total cost of ownership calculation beforehand. Thanks to the high safety standards, which are a top priority for AGILOX, the vehicles move extremely reliably and very precisely in their environments." All AMRs operate completely electromechanically and therefore do not require oil for hydraulics.
Provisioning Abroad
AGILOX delivers abroad to 95%, especially to Germany, but also throughout the DACH region and the rest of Europe. Since 2019, there has been an American branch near Atlanta. "With our location in the USA, we can serve the market there even more easily and flexibly. We see high growth potential here," said the managing director. In case of the introduction of import tariffs, AGILOX has taken precautions: From the beginning, a large hall was planned there, where the products can be assembled. "We also have the ability to procure resources locally and already have enough stock in advance," explains David Niedermaier. Similar plans are in place for China, which already imposes import tariffs. The company confronts the battle for talent at its domestic location with good training and further education opportunities. "There are many industrial companies in our region. However, we have the advantage of being widely known in the market as an employer and innovator. This attracts potential employees," says David Niedermaier.
Traveling Safely Through Crises
Despite the current uncertain political situation, the CTO is optimistic about the future: "We can respond flexibly to situations and are crisis-resistant. Through automation, we can support companies in managing these crisis times effectively." AI and Digital Twins as well as virtual commissioning are topics that are being intensively dealt with. Behind all this stands today and in the future the grand vision: simplicity in the product for the user.