TOKYO — Panasonic Connect plans to begin offering a control and fleet-management service this fall for autonomous mobile robots used in factories and warehouses.

The company announced Robo Sync for Mobility Sept. 9 (Japanese-language source), saying the service will connect autonomous mobile robots, or AMRs, from multiple manufacturers with equipment such as programmable logic controllers, automatic doors and elevators.

Panasonic Connect has not identified the robot manufacturers supported at launch, named customers or given a specific availability date. Compatibility will be important because manufacturers can use different fleet-management software, interfaces and operating rules.

Robo Sync for Mobility is designed to manage connections, transport workflows, task execution, robot status and operational logs through one interface. Panasonic says workers will be able to create or modify standardized transport scenarios without writing code when layouts, destinations or production lines change.

The service is intended for tasks such as moving materials between production processes, supplying components to assembly lines and coordinating multiple AMRs. It will provide a software layer for assigning work, monitoring operations and connecting robots with other equipment.

Pricing starts at 70,000 yen ($454) a month for a base license covering one tenant, plus 6,000 yen monthly for each connected AMR. Panasonic also lists a 3.5 million yen implementation package covering system configuration, workflow creation and operator training. The prices exclude tax.

Panasonic unit says the service will record robot positions, operating states, alarms, task histories, equipment events, wireless conditions and worker actions on a chronological dashboard. That information is intended to help operators determine whether a stop or delay originated with a robot, connected equipment or the communications network.
The company plans to add more compatible manufacturers and equipment (Japanese-language source) and expand its dashboard and log-analysis functions. AI-assisted analysis and operational support are under development and are not listed as features available with the initial service.