Wheel drive is the densest subsystem in an AMR: it draws on more component categories than any other function. The reason is the closed loop. Driving a wheel means switching power, sensing the result, conditioning the signal, and acting on it in real time, with protection standing by throughout.
some architectures use discrete switches with separate drivers, others integrate the driver with the switch or the controller.
some architectures use discrete switches with separate drivers, others integrate the driver with the switch or the controller.
Main functions
The following table shows the role of various sensing and control elements in an AMR.
| Component | Category | Role in the AMR |
|---|---|---|
| Vision sensing (camera, ToF, LiDAR) | Sensing | Perceive the surroundings for obstacle detection and mapping |
| Motion sensing (IMU) | Sensing | Track the robot's own movement for odometry and stability |
| Environmental sensing (temperature) | Sensing | Monitor operating conditions, feed thermal protection |
| MCU | Processing | Handle real-time, deterministic control tasks |
| MPU | Processing | Run navigation, mapping, and path planning |
| NPU | Processing | Accelerate AI perception workloads such as object detection |
| EEPROM | Memory | Store calibration and configuration across power cycles |
| Secure element | Security | Authenticate the robot to the fleet, verify firmware integrity |