Case Study: How a 5G IoT Gateway Connects AGV/AMR Fleets in the Factory

This case study solves the #1 problem for modern logistics: unreliable agv connectivity. A major warehouse operator was suffering from constant AGV downtime due to Wi-Fi dead zones and poor access point roaming. By replacing their Wi-Fi with an onboard Robustel 5g iot gateway (the R5020 Lite) on each AGV, they created a single, seamless, high-reliability cellular network. This IoT Gateway solution eliminated Wi-Fi roaming failures, slashed downtime by 95%, and extended the AGV operational range, proving that a cellular IoT Gateway is the superior choice for mission-critical mobile robotics.

If you run a warehouse or smart factory, you've seen it. It's the "buffer of death" for your $100,000 AGV (Automated Guided Vehicle). The robot drives to the edge of one Wi-Fi access point's range, fails to "roam" to the next one, and just... stops.

The entire production line grinds to a halt. A human has to walk over, manually reboot the connection, and reset the mission. It's an operations nightmare.

This is the dirty secret of automation: Wi-Fi, a technology built for laptops in a coffee shop, is terrible for high-speed, mission-critical robots. We worked with a major logistics provider who was losing thousands of dollars a day to this exact problem. This is how they solved it with a cellular IoT Gateway.

A large-scale automotive parts depot ran a 24/7 "lights-out" operation with a fleet of 50 AGVs and AMRs. Their problem was simple: their Wi-Fi network was failing them.

• Problem 1: Roaming Failure. As an AGV moved between warehouse zones, its Wi-Fi client would try to "hand off" from Access Point A to Access Point B. This "roaming" process would fail 5% of the time, causing the AGV to lose its connection to the fleet manager and freeze.
• Problem 2: Dead Zones. Their massive facility, full of metal racking and moving equipment, was riddled with RF dead zones where Wi-Fi couldn't reach.
• Problem 3: The "Yard Problem." The Wi-Fi stopped at the loading dock door. Their AGVs couldn't go from the warehouse to the outdoor loading area, breaking the logistics chain.

They needed a single, seamless network that moved with the robot and never dropped. They needed to abandon Wi-Fi and adopt a 5g iot gateway strategy.

The team decided to treat each AGV as an independent, high-performance "vehicle." They retrofitted all 50 AGVs with a Robustel Add One Product: R5020 Lite , a rugged 5g iot gateway.

This industrial iot gateway was the perfect solution, as it was designed to solve the three core challenges of amr connectivity.

This is the most important part. A cellular network is one network.

• How it Works: The 5g iot gateway on the AGV connects to the carrier's (or a private) 4G/5G network. As the AGV moves, it may hand off between different cell towers, but this is a process the cellular protocol was designed for from day one (think of driving your car and talking on the phone). It's seamless.
• The Result: The AGV never loses its connection. There is no "roaming" failure because it's always connected to the same national network. This IoT Gateway completely eliminated the #1 cause of their downtime.

For a large fleet, the central "fleet manager" server needs to send micro-second commands (e.g., "STOP, AGV-32, to avoid collision!"). Wi-Fi latency is unpredictable ("best effort").

• How it Works: The 5g iot gateway (especially when connected to a private 5G network) provides Ultra-Reliable Low-Latency (URLLC).
• The Result: The fleet manager's commands were delivered in milliseconds, not hundreds of milliseconds. This allowed them to run their AGVs faster and closer together, boosting the entire fleet's efficiency. This is a key advantage of a 5g iot gateway over older tech.

Wi-Fi stops at the wall. Cellular doesn't.

• How it Works: The R5020 Lite is an industrial iot gateway with an E-Mark certification for vehicle use and a rugged, wide-temp design.
• The Result: The AGV could now seamlessly drive from the indoor warehouse, across the 200-meter yard (which had no Wi-Fi), and into the next building, all while maintaining a perfect, high-speed 5G connection. Their operational range instantly expanded by 500%.

How do you manage 50 moving IoT Gateway devices?

• The Solution: The entire fleet of Robustel IoT Gateway devices was managed via Add One Product: RCMS (Robustel Cloud Manager Service).
• The Result: The ops team had a single dashboard showing the real-time location (via GPS), signal strength, and data usage of every IoT Gateway (and thus, every AGV). If an AGV's connection did fail, they could remotely reboot the IoT Gateway from their desk.

The impact of moving from Wi-Fi to a 5g iot gateway solution was staggering.

• 95% Reduction in Connectivity-Related Downtime: The "stuck robot" problem virtually disappeared.
• 30% Increase in Fleet Throughput: With lower latency and no roaming stops, the fleet could process 30% more "picks" per hour.
• 100% Coverage: They achieved 100% connectivity across their entire campus, including the outdoor yards.
• Saved $500,00TCO: They were able to cancel a planned $500,000 project to install an "upgraded" (and still flawed) mesh Wi-Fi network. The IoT Gateway solution was a fraction of the cost.

For mobile robotics like AGVs and AMRs, Wi-Fi is a flawed, legacy technology. You cannot build a reliable, high-performance autonomous fleet on an unreliable network.

The future of agv connectivity is cellular. A rugged, industrial 5g iot gateway is the only solution that provides the seamless roaming, low latency, and indoor/outdoor flexibility that modern logistics demands. This case study proves that the IoT Gateway isn't just an accessory; it's the core enabler of a truly autonomous operation.