An automated guided vehicle for navigating and bi-directionally traversing magnetic paths on a ground surface to carry cargo to selected points on the paths, the paths comprising a strip of magnetic material of a first polarity facing upward from the ground surface, said automated guided vehicle comprising:
- (a) a chassis having a longitudinal central axis, a first section, a second section, and an intermediate section between said first and second sections, said first section including at least one first passive omni-wheel rotatable about a fixed horizontal axis extending perpendicular to said longitudinal central axis but able to roll omni-directionally over the ground surface without rotating about a vertical axis, said second section including at least one second passive omni-wheel rotatable about a fixed horizontal axis extending perpendicular to the longitudinal central axis but able to roll omni-directionally over the ground surface without rotating about a vertical axis, a first drive wheel located at said intermediate section and rotatable about a first transverse axis extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal axis, a first motor coupled to said first drive wheel for rotating said first drive wheel about said first transverse axis to cause said first drive wheel to roll along the ground surface, a second drive wheel located at said intermediate section and rotatable about a second transverse axis extending perpendicularly to said longitudinal central axis, a second motor coupled to said second drive wheel and configured to rotate said second drive wheel about said second transverse axis to cause said second drive wheel to roll along the ground surface;
- (b) a top plate mounted on said chassis to support a cargo item or piece of equipment thereon;
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- (c) control and navigation circuitry including a magnetic sensor for sensing said strip of magnetic material and for operating said first and second motors to cause said vehicle to roll over the ground surface and along a desired one of said paths, said desired one of said paths being established by said control and navigation circuitry, whereupon said automated guided vehicle is selectively moved to selected ones of said points under the control of said control and navigation circuitry and wherein said control and navigation circuitry comprises electronic components that are located on a board mounted on said intermediate section so that said electronic components are located within a hollow interior space in said intermediate section when said top plate is releasably mounted on said chassis, said board being removable from said intermediate section and oriented vertically to provide access to said electronic components when said top plate has been removed from said chassis.