OMRON’s Mobile Robots Win the METI Minister’s Award at the 10th Robot Awards Program

• October 12, 2022

OMRON Corporation (HQ: Shimogyo-ku, Kyoto; President and CEO: Yoshihito Yamada) announced today that its LD Series and HD Series mobile robots have won the prominent Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) Minister’s Award at the 10th Robot Awards program, which is chiefly co-organized by METI and the Japan Machinery Federation.

The Robot Awards program is an initiative that commends outstanding robots, components and software, their advanced use and research and development, and efforts to develop human resources in the field of robotics, with the aim of facilitating the development of robot technologies and the expansion of robot utilization in Japan, among others. Applicant companies and other organizations that have developed robots deemed the most outstanding in each ministerial policy area are honored by the respective ministers. The METI Minister’s Award that was presented to OMRON this yearis the top award given to the winner selected from all the applicants from different fields and categories.

The OMRON LD/HD Series Mobile Robots automate material transport tasks in factories andfacitilies, thus freeing human workers from strenuous work to allow them to focus on more creative tasks. These autonomous mobile robots have won the prestigious accolade in recognition of a highly productive transport platform with advanced safety and usability　that contributes to the advancement of manufacturing industries worldwide as well as its potential for future deployment. Below are the reasons for the selection.

OMRON’s Mobile Robotsare a high-quality platform that enable a fleet of multiple autonomous mobile robots (AMRs). A practical system is created by combining individual technologies, such as SLAM (simultaneous localization and mapping, technology that constructs a map of an unknown environment while simultaneously keeping track of an agent’s location within it) and obstacle avoidance.　Having sold over 3,000 units in 40 countries, they are making major contributions to the enhancement of productivity on manufacturing floors.　Through alliance with System Integrators, these transport platforms are expected to automate more applications in a wider variety of fields.

In an effort to create a better society by solving social issues through business, OMRON is contributing to the advancement of manufacturing that underpins a sustainable society with its unique value creation concept, “innovative-Automation.” Going forward, we will create a prosperous future for people, industries, and Planet Earth through automation as we seek to solve labor shortages and other social issues by further spreading the use of mobile robots.

▼ About the LD/HD Series Mobile Robots
There is a growing need for the automation of material transport tasks as companies face rapid changes in society. These changes include the transition to high-mix, low-volume production, the social distancing of people due to the COVID-19 pandemic, combined with the intensifying challenge of labor shortages on manufacturing floors. Previous generations of transport robots, however, had some challenges that needed to be solved before they could be applied to broaderdeployment, such as difficulty in the design and verification of the applications and low-efficiency due to the robots interfering with obstacles and people that work in the same environment. The LD/HD Series were designed so that they can be deployed flexibly into a production line without factory layout change. Multiple OMRON’s mobile robots can work together in a fleet to increase productivity and they can also work safely among people.With their payload capacity ranging from 60 kg to 1,500 kg, OMRON’s mobile robots cover a variety of applications. For more information, please see the following page:

Americas
https://www.automation.omron.com/en/us/products/families/mobile-robots
Europe
https://industrial.omron.eu/en/products/mobile-robot
Asia Pacific
https://www.omron-ap.com/products/category/robotics/mobile-robots/index.html
https://www.fa.omron.co.jp/product/robotics/lineup/mobile/

OMRON’s Mobile Robots

About “innovative-Automation”
OMRON is advancing a unique “innovative-Automation” concept, creating new types of automation that drive the manufacturing revolution forward at the same time as realizing coexistence with the global environment and a sense of purpose for all workers, as well as contributing to the growth of sustainable industries.
As we look to the future of manufacturing, OMRON will pursue novel approaches to productivity in the form of “Autonomation beyond human abilities” and “Advanced collaboration between people and machines,” underpinned by “Digital engineering transformation” in order to enrich the future for people, industries and the globe by innovative-Automation.

About OMRON Corporation
OMRON Corporation is a leading automation company with its core competencies in Sensing & Control + Think technology, and is engaged in a wide range of businesses including industrial automation, healthcare, social systems, and electronic components. Established in 1933, OMRON has about 30,000 employees worldwide, working to provide products and services in around 120 countries and regions. In the field of industrial automation, OMRON contributes to the advancement of manufacturing that will support a sustainable society through solutions and service that innovates our customers’ production sites. For more information, visit https://www.omron.com/global/en/