Everything You Need to Know About Traffic Control
Managing a fleet of mobile robots is no easy task , especially as operations scale and environments grow more complex. The key to seamless robot operations is not just about moving from point A to B — it is about doing so efficiently, safely, and in harmony with the overall workflow. That’s where our traffic control and route planning features come in. For companies aiming to maximise the potential of their mobile robot fleet, these two features are key to keeping everything running smoothly.
Traffic control is the backbone that keeps everything running smoothly. Without it, even the most advanced robots can face bottlenecks, collisions, and inefficiencies that can cripple productivity. To address these challenges head-on, we, at Meili Robots, have developed a smart traffic control system within Meili FMS, our universal fleet management system for mobile robots.
Breaking Down Meili FMS’s Traffic Control
When AMRs (Autonomous Mobile Robots) operate in environments with humans, machinery, or other robots, unpredictable intersections and high-traffic zones can lead to delays, jams, and even collisions. This is where Meili FMS’s traffic control feature steps in, helping AMRs navigate dynamically by organising their movement, prioritising tasks, and minimising the risk of disruptions.
4 Types of Collisions
At its core, Meili FMS’s traffic control uses algorithms to monitor and regulate the movement of every AMR in a fleet, utilising virtual zones and dynamic rerouting to maintain smooth operations. Let’s take a look at how Meili FMS handles various collision scenarios.
1. Head-on Collisions
A head-on collision refers to the occurrence where the front ends of two vehicles collide while travelling in opposite directions. When this happens, Meili FMS assesses which has higher priority. For example, if one robot is on a high-priority mission, it receives precedence, while the other robot waits until it passes safely. If no priority is given to either robot, precedence will be given to the mission that was assigned first.
2. Stay-on Collisions
A stay-on collision refers to the occurrence where a vehicle approaches another vehicle at a higher speed than the one in front of it. Regardless of the robots’ mission priorities, the vehicle in front will be given priority. The vehicle approaching from behind will be stopped, allowing the vehicle in front to move ahead. This setup ensures safe distances and prevents rear-end collisions.
3. Cross-conflict Collisions
This type of collision refers to the occurrence where a vehicle approaches another vehicle at an angle. Just as with head-on collisions, Meili FMS will give precedence to whichever vehicle has been given a higher priority, and the lower priority vehicle will be stopped. That is, if priority is given. If no priority is given, the precedence will be given whichever vehicle had its current mission assigned first.
4. Stationary Collisions
As the name suggests, this type of collision refers to a situation where a robot collides with a stationary vehicle which has not been assigned any missions. In this scenario, Meili FMS proactively adjusts the route of the moving robot to maintain smooth flow and prevent any interference with the stationary vehicle.
How Meili FMS Finds Intersections
Each AMR in Meili FMS operates within a virtual “safety bubble”. This zone adjusts to the dimensions of each vehicle, maintaining optimal safety distances. These safety distances, together with the vehicles’ paths, missions, and locations, will allow Meili FMS to determine the intersection of said vehicles.
The image on the right illustrates the “safety bubble” created by Meili FMS. Our system first identifies the vehicle’s location and generates a safety perimeter based on its size. Then, a buffer zone is added around this perimeter to enhance safety.
This adjusted dimension applies to the entire path the vehicle will be following during its mission. Our traffic control algorithms then use these parameters to detect and regulate intersections, factoring in both vehicle size and the added safety distance — as is illustrated in the image below. This ensures secure, efficient navigation.
Customisable Traffic Control Parameters
Meili FMS also provides flexible parameters, allowing users to configure each AMR’s behaviour based on the layout and needs of their facility. Parameters include:
Safety Distance Thresholds: Define the minimum safety distance between vehicles and obstacles, allowing for close or more cautious navigation.
Collision Detection: These parameters will determine the distance between vehicles as well as between vehicles and intersection points. The safety distance parameters may differ slightly based on the detected collision type:
Head-on and Cross Collisions: The distance from the front of the vehicle to the point of intersection.
Stay-on and Stationary Collisions: The distance from the front of the vehicle to the centre of the other vehicle (see image below).
Delays: These vehicle-specific parameters enable traffic control algorithms to anticipate and handle vehicle-related latencies effectively. This setup enhances predictive accuracy in managing vehicle movements.
Message Frequency: The rate at which vehicles communicate with Meili FMS.
Traffic Control Delay: A parameter that adjusts for additional latency in collision detection for each vehicle.
Meili FMS’s customisation features allow easy adjustment of these parameters to meet the specific needs of each user. This flexibility provides a safe, adaptable solution for managing both small and large-scale fleets.
Are you an OEM, distributor or integrator looking for a fleet manager that allows for this type of customisation? We would love to talk more about how we can help you improve your offerings. Contact our team anytime to find out how we can work together!
6 Benefits of Meili FMS’s Traffic Control
Let’s dive into some key benefits of Meili FMS’s traffic control and route planning features, and why they are a game-changer for optimising your robotics operations.
1. Dynamic Route Planning
Route planning in robotic fleets is not as simple as setting a straight line from one point to another. It needs to be dynamic and adaptable, especially in fast-paced environments like warehouses or factories where human workers, other robots, or unexpected obstacles may affect paths. Meili FMS offers a real-time, dynamic route planning feature that ensures your robots always choose the most efficient route — without the need for manual re-routing.
By continuously assessing traffic and obstacles, our system ensures that robots avoid bottlenecks and delays, allowing you to minimise downtime and increase operational efficiency.
2. Centralised Traffic Management
With Meili FMS, all traffic control operations are centralised into one user-friendly interface. No matter how large your mobile robot fleet, you can oversee every movement in real time, set traffic priorities, and adjust routes as needed. The intuitive user interface makes it easy to manage the flow of traffic across your fleet, giving you total control with minimal effort.
This centralised approach means you don’t need to manually intervene in each individual task — Meili FMS takes care of traffic coordination while you focus on big-picture goals.
3. Prioritised Routing
Certain tasks or missions may take precedence over others, depending on your workflow or the urgency of deliveries. Meili FMS’s traffic control feature allows you to set priorities for different robots and tasks, ensuring that your fleet completes high-priority jobs first.
By dynamically assigning priority levels and rerouting less urgent robots, Meili FMS enables your fleet to maximise efficiency and maintain timely operations. Whether you are dealing with tight deadlines or unexpected high-priority missions, your fleet will always stay on track.
4. Collision Avoidance
A robust traffic control system must prioritise safety, especially in mixed environments where robots operate alongside humans and other machinery. Meili FMS’s collision avoidance capabilities ensure that robots maintain a safe distance from each other and adjust their routes with precision based on various factors such as their missions and priorities.
Automated collision detections between multi-vendor robots and emergency stop functionality provide an extra layer of security, ensuring that your operations can continue smoothly without unexpected accidents.
5. Optimised Resource Allocation
Our traffic control system does not just manage robot movement — it helps optimise resource allocation across your entire fleet. By directing robots to the nearest available charging stations when their battery is low, or rerouting them based on task priorities, Meili FMS ensures you are always making the most out of your fleet’s capacity. This feature enhances fleet utilisation by minimising idle times and ensuring that each robot is performing its role efficiently.
6. Scalability Without Sacrifice
As your business grows, so does your fleet. But expanding operations should not mean sacrificing efficiency. Meili FMS is designed with scalability in mind, allowing you to add new mobile robots to your fleet without overhauling your system.
The traffic control system automatically integrates new robots and adapts routing strategies to accommodate increased fleet size, ensuring smooth operations at scale.
Why Meili FMS’s Traffic Control Is a Game-Changer
Although valuable for all types of mobile robot fleets, traffic control in Meili FMS is a real game-changer in mixed-use environments like warehouses, manufacturing floors, and healthcare settings, where different mobile robots and manual workers share a space. The feature enables smooth, intelligent flow by adjusting AMR movement in real-time, coordinating responses for each robot based on mission demands and real-time spatial awareness. Not only does this prevent downtime due to traffic jams, but it also boosts overall safety and productivity by ensuring continuous, conflict-free movement.
With Meili FMS’s traffic control, you can now manage your AMRs seamlessly with the precision and predictability of advanced algorithms. To learn more about our traffic control feature, please reach out to one of our team members below.
