Control augmentation apparatus and method for automated guided vehicles

An augmentation system for an automated guided vehicle (AGV) deployed in a facility and including a control module for controlling a drive mechanism based on sensor data received from a navigation sensor, the system comprising:

• an inter-module communications interface connected to the control module;
• a memory;
• a processor coupled to the communications interface and the memory, the processor configured to:
• obtain an operational command for the AGV;
• generate control data defining one or more operations for the AGV to execute the operational command;
• convert the control data to simulated sensor data to enable the control module to control the drive mechanism, wherein the simulated sensor data corresponds to sensor data generable by the navigation sensor in the presence of guidance infrastructure, and converting the control data to simulated sensor data comprises:
• determining one or more sensors to simulate based on one or more data types of the control data, and
• determining the simulated sensor data required to trigger the one or more operations defined by the control data;
• and
• send the simulated sensor data to the control module, whereby the control module is operable to control the drive mechanism to execute the operational command based on the simulated sensor data.

A method of navigating an automated-guided vehicle (“AGV”), the AGV being coupled to an augmentation system including a processor, the method comprising:

• navigating the AGV in an environment to execute an operational command by operating the processor to:
• generate control data defining one or more operations for the AGV to execute the operational command;
• convert the control data to simulated sensor data to enable a control module of the AGV to control a drive mechanism of the AGV without guiding infrastructure within the environment, wherein the simulated sensor data corresponds to sensor data generable by one or more sensors of the AGV when the guiding infrastructure is present, and converting the control data to simulated sensor data comprises:
• determining one or more sensors to simulate based on one or more data types of the control data, and
• determining the simulated sensor data required to trigger the one or more operations defined by the control data;
• and
• transmit the simulated sensor data to the control module of the AGV;
• and
• operating the control module to control the drive mechanism of the AGV based on the simulated sensor data;
• wherein the control module interprets the simulated sensor data in place of sensor input, and wherein operating the augmentation system to navigate the AGV is not based on the guiding infrastructure.