Driverless Forklifts vs AGVs: What Is the Difference
Buyers often use "AGV" for anything that moves pallets without a driver. The two are not the same machine, and picking the wrong one costs you a route rebuild or an aisle you cannot use. This article separates the categories by navigation, load handling and form factor.
1. The core difference: fixed path or self-navigating
An automated guided vehicle difference comes down to one question: who decides where the truck goes?
A classic AGV follows a path that was defined before it ever ran. The path is physical (magnetic tape, a wire in the floor, reflective markers) or logical (a QR grid). If the tape is cut, the vehicle stops. If the pallet is 30 cm off the mark, the vehicle waits for a human. It repeats a route very reliably, and that is the whole point.
A driverless forklift, usually described as an AMR when it navigates by SLAM, builds its own map and picks a route through it. It sees an obstacle, decides to go around, and finds an alternative path to the same target. It still needs a job instruction, but it does not need the floor marked to follow it.
Practical consequence: an AGV project is a floor project. An AMR project is a software and commissioning project. Budget for tape and civil work in the first case, and for mapping time and network coverage in the second.
2. Navigation methods compared
Four navigation families cover most warehouse floors today. The table below compares them on the things that actually decide a project.
| Navigation | Path type | Floor work required | Route change cost | Positioning accuracy | Best fit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magnetic tape | Fixed, follows tape | Tape laying, slots or adhesive | Relay tape along the new route | ยฑ10 mm typical | Simple point-to-point transfer, stable layout, tight budget |
| Laser SLAM | Free, self-mapped | None | Remap or edit the map in software | ยฑ10-30 mm depending on scan features | Mixed traffic, aisles that change, multi-shift layouts |
| QR code grid | Fixed points, free between them | QR labels on the floor | Add or move labels | ยฑ5-10 mm | High-accuracy docking, conveyor and lift interfaces |
| Natural feature navigation | Free, matches existing surfaces | None | Software only | ยฑ20-50 mm | Large open halls, racks and walls used as landmarks |
Two notes that matter in the field. First, a laser SLAM truck needs stable features to look at. An empty hall with bare walls and no racking gives it very little to match, and accuracy drifts. Second, QR codes work well until someone drives a pallet jack over them. Plan who cleans and replaces labels, because a scuffed code reads as a stopped vehicle.
Natural feature navigation avoids that maintenance but demands a facility with enough structure to recognise. It suits existing buildings where you cannot drill or glue anything to the floor.
3. Load and form factor: how the vehicle meets the pallet
Form factor decides which loads you can handle, and it varies more than the navigation does.
- Underride / latent AGV. Drives underneath a trolley, cart or rack base and lifts it. Load capacity is high and the vehicle is very low, but every load must sit on a compatible carrier. Retrofitting existing pallets is not possible; the carriers are part of the project.
- Pallet truck AGV. A powered pallet truck with the driver removed. Forks slide into a standard pallet, lift roughly 200 mm and move it. This is the most common form for horizontal transport between production, staging and shipping lanes.
- Stacker AGV. Adds a mast so the load can be raised to a racking level, not just carried. It handles low-level put-away and retrieval, floor stacks and conveyor infeed at height.
- Reach AGV. A reach truck platform for narrow aisles and high bays. The mast reaches into the rack rather than requiring the truck to enter the rack face, which keeps aisle width down and lift height up.
If your task is "move this pallet 80 m, 400 times a shift", a pallet truck AGV is the right shape. If it is "put it on the third beam and bring another one down", you need a mast.
4. How to choose
Work through these points with real numbers before you ask for a quote.
- Floor condition. Laser SLAM and natural feature navigation need a flat floor with no sudden steps; keep joints and cracks under about 10 mm and avoid loose gravel, standing water and polished epoxy where wheels slip. Magnetic tape can tolerate a rougher surface but the tape itself must stay glued down, so it fails in wash-down or outdoor areas.
- Route complexity. One fixed lane between two points: tape is enough and costs the least. Five or more pickup points, or a route that changes with the season: budget for SLAM. If the layout is expected to change more than twice a year, fixed path quickly becomes the expensive option.
- Load and pallet type. Confirm the actual load, not the nominal 1,000 kg. Check pallet condition too: a warped or broken pallet is a common cause of failed fork entry on an unmanned truck.
- Lift height. Under 200 mm: pallet truck AGV territory. Up to about 1,600 mm: stacker AGV. Above that, into racking, you need a reach platform, with capacities and lift heights quoted per model.
- Aisle width and traffic. Measure the narrowest point, not the average. Mixed pedestrian and manned truck traffic usually pushes you toward SLAM, because a tape-guided vehicle cannot step aside.
- System integration. Does the truck need to accept jobs from your WMS or ERP, or hand off to a conveyor, lift or fire door? Ask early whether the supplier supports the protocol your system speaks, and get it in writing. A vehicle that moves pallets but cannot be told which pallet is worth less than a manned truck.
- Shift pattern and charging. Two-shift operation with a 200 mm lift truck typically needs an opportunity-charging routine or a second battery. Confirm charge time against your break schedule.
- Who maintains it. Sensors need cleaning, maps need updating after a layout change, and tape needs repair. Assign an owner inside the plant before commissioning, not after.
5. WR driverless and AGV range
WR builds both fixed-path and self-navigating vehicles on the same pallet truck, stacker and reach platforms used for the manned range, which keeps spares and service familiar.
- AGV pallet truck CBD20J01 - laser navigation, 200 mm lift height, 2,500-5,000 kg capacity. Horizontal transport of standard pallets, with no floor marking needed.
- AGV stacker CDD*J01-16 - laser navigation, service weight 820 kg, intelligent motion control for smooth acceleration and accurate stopping at rack faces.
- Reach AGV - lift height 1,500-12,000 mm for narrow aisle and high bay work.
WR Forklift (Taizhou Worui Warehousing and Logistics Equipment Co., Ltd.) has manufactured electric material handling equipment since 2018 at a 28,880 sqm plant in Gaogang District, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China, with 9 product families and 41 models shipped to 40+ markets. Manufacturing is covered by Special Equipment Manufacturing Licence TS2532202-2029 and ISO 9001:2015, with CE verification ICR/VC/HM260171.
6. FAQ
Is an AGV the same as a driverless forklift?
No. An AGV follows a path defined in advance, usually magnetic tape, wire or a QR grid, and stops if that path is blocked. A driverless forklift with SLAM navigation builds its own map and works around obstacles. Many suppliers use "AGV" loosely for both, so ask which navigation the quoted model uses.
What is the difference between an AGV and an AMR?
An AMR navigates by matching what its sensors see against a map it created, so it can choose a different route. An AGV depends on installed guidance. Converting a route on an AGV means moving physical infrastructure; on an AMR it usually means editing a map file.
Can an AGV work in a freezer or on a loading dock?
Yes, if the vehicle is specified for it. Low-temperature versions need heated or rated batteries and sensors that tolerate condensation, and tape adhesion fails on wet or icy dock surfaces. Cold store trucks and explosion-proof trucks are separate builds from the standard range.
How much does a driverless forklift cost compared with a manned truck?
Expect a clear premium over the equivalent manned unit, plus project cost. Tape guidance adds floor works and tape that needs replacing; SLAM adds mapping, network coverage and higher sensor cost. Compare against the labour cost of the shifts you are actually replacing, over three to five years.
How accurate is docking without a driver?
Laser SLAM and natural feature navigation typically land within 10-30 mm, which is enough for most pallet handling but not for every conveyor interface. Where a machine interface needs tighter tolerance, QR code targets at those specific stations are a common fix.
What happens when the network goes down?
A SLAM vehicle normally keeps running its current task from its onboard map, then waits for new jobs. Central traffic control is what stops. Decide in advance whether vehicles should park safely, finish the current job, or continue with local rules, and confirm the supplier supports the behaviour you want.