By Saurabh Chandra, founder and CEO at Ati Motors
Modernizing legacy spaces with infrastructure-free, autonomous material movement
In the race to automate, many manufacturers find themselves caught between the promise of cutting-edge robotics and the physical realities of their decades old facilities.
Brownfield manufacturing spaces, or factories built long before automation was commonplace, pose a unique challenge to modernization.
These facilities often have aging infrastructure, constrained space, variable lighting conditions, and deeply embedded workflows. Yet the demand for more agile, efficient, and scalable material movement solutions has never been higher.
In response to this growing need, autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) have emerged as a transformative solution.
These flexible, intelligent machines offer a compelling alternative to fixed material handling systems, particularly when designed to integrate seamlessly with existing operations.
Integrating AMRs into brownfield facilities requires more than dropping a robot onto the factory floor. AMR integration demands a thoughtful approach to deployment, navigation, and collaboration with people and with legacy systems.
Understanding the brownfield challenge
At its core, a brownfield environment presents many physical barriers to automation. While modern manufacturing execution systems (MES) or ERP systems may already be in place, the buildings themselves weren’t designed with AMRs in mind.
Cracked floors, unpredictable lighting, tight aisles, and layered workflows create a complex environment that many robots, especially those developed in clean, controlled lab settings, struggle to navigate.
Older facilities are also rarely static. Over time, manufacturers add equipment and modify layouts, resulting in inconsistent floorplans and makeshift transitions between plant zones.
Ramps, uneven surfaces, and congested intersections become everyday navigation puzzles. Adding to the complexity, most brownfield operations run continuously, leaving little opportunity for downtime or extensive infrastructure modifications.
Given these realities, many manufacturers assume they must overhaul their facility by redoing flooring, installing beacons or reflectors, or even redesigning carts to accommodate AMRs.
In contrast, the most advanced systems today are designed to adapt to existing environments, not the other way around.
Another misconception is that AMRs will inherently disrupt established workflows. The right systems will integrate into current processes with minimal interruption, provided the solution is selected and deployed with these constraints in mind.
Avoiding disruption involves more than just the machine itself, it’s about the strategy behind the machine’s deployment.
Tailoring AMRs to the constraints of legacy facilities
In brownfield settings, the most successful AMR deployments don’t force the facility to change. They work with what’s already there, physically and operationally.
Focusing on infrastructure-free deployment ensures companies are not dependent on navigating complex infrastructure updates to implement AMRs.
Rather than relying on traditional markers or fixed navigation aids, robots equipped with advanced 3D LiDAR-based navigation can interpret surroundings in real-time.
This allows the AMRs to operate safely and autonomously, even in crowded, poorly lit, or constantly changing environments.
Another critical design consideration is maneuverability. Facilities with narrow aisles and limited floor space require AMRs with compact footprints and tight turning radii.
For example, tow tractors built for rugged conditions and tight spaces need to be able to make sharp turns and handle worn flooring without issue.
Finally, a successful AMR deployment must account for the existing material handling infrastructure. Many manufacturers use custom carts tailored to specific parts or ergonomic workflows.
AMRs that require standardized cart designs may inadvertently demand a costly and unnecessary retooling of operations. Instead, leading-edge solutions focus on compatibility, connecting with whatever carts and workflows are already in use.
Interoperability in a mixed-automation landscape
Interoperability is key in legacy plants where older automation systems, such as magnetic tape-based AGVs, may still be in use. Modern AMRs must coexist with these systems, even if they can’t communicate digitally.
Layered intelligence makes this possible by using external vision systems, like overhead cameras, to detect and yield to legacy vehicles in intersections.
Fleet management platforms also play a crucial role, acting as traffic control systems that prevent collisions and coordinate movements across multiple autonomous vehicles.
When AMRs are built to follow widely accepted communication rules like VDA-5050, they can “talk” to other robots that follow the same rules.
This makes it easier for different brands or types of robots to work together in the same facility without needing special programming or separate systems.
Integration with MES and ERP platforms is equally important. These digital connections enable event-driven and pull-based workflows, meaning robots move only when prompted by system triggers, not static schedules.
While this is not exclusive to brownfield environments, it’s a valuable upgrade that enhances efficiency across any operation.
Mitigating disruption through smart deployment
Deploying AMRs without interrupting ongoing production is a critical requirement in most brownfield facilities. Therefore, automation providers capable of deploying solutions during live operations without causing downtime are highly valuable.
This is where technology and service converge. From modular integration tools to custom hitching mechanisms, flexibility at the hardware and software levels makes it possible to fit into complex environments without forcing the plant to adapt.
Even the most seamless technical deployment can falter without attention to change management. AMRs are a rare breed of automation due to the fact they roam freely throughout the plant. As a result, they interact with a wide range of personnel, not just trained operators.
Companies must ensure that all employees understand safety protocols and the basic do’s and don’ts of interacting with the robots.
Brief, accessible training sessions and orientation modules can significantly improve acceptance and comfort on the floor. Without these measures, even a well-integrated robot may encounter resistance or misuse.
A case study in adaptability
In one recent deployment, a large tier-one automotive supplier needed a highly specific material movement workflow: towing two trolleys in parallel, then independently unhitching them at precise drop-off points.
Rather than asking the manufacturer to redesign their process, Ati Motors, a global leader in AI and autonomous robotics solutions, customized the robot to conquer the challenge.
By engineering a dual-cart, autonomous unhitching system, the solution fit directly into the supplier’s existing workflow with no reconfiguration required.
This approach dramatically accelerated adoption and demonstrated how thoughtful customization can bridge even the most complex gaps between legacy systems and modern automation.
While many AMRs are built for modern factories, Ati Motors, a global leader in AI and autonomous robotics, has engineered its Sherpa line of autonomous tow trucks and pallet movers with brownfield realities specifically in mind.
Originally designed for outdoor navigation, Sherpa robots feature high ground clearance, rugged suspension, and superior ramp performance, ideal for navigating aging factory floors and organically evolved layouts.
Ati Motors’ 3D LiDAR-based navigation system enables infrastructure-free deployment and seamless integration with legacy carts minimizes workflow changes.
Additionally, their VDA-5050 compliant fleet management system ensures intelligent coordination across modern and legacy automation systems. Perhaps most importantly, Ati Motors takes a partnership-first approach to deployment.
From orientation training to minor cart modifications, the goal is simply to remove friction. The less a customer has to change, the quicker the ROI and the more sustainable the adoption.
Meeting the future where it stands
Modernizing brownfield facilities isn’t about tearing down the old. Instead, it’s about building onto existing operations wisely.
The true vision for the factory of the future is not a blank slate, but an intelligent overlay, where new technologies build on and elevate existing infrastructure.
Autonomous mobile robots can bring powerful efficiency gains to legacy plants, but only when designed with those environments in mind.
By selecting infrastructure-free, workflow-compatible, and interoperable AMR solutions, companies ensure quick ROI, maintain quality standards, establish a future-ready foundation for plant-wide optimization, and experience true efficiency.
The success of brownfield modernization also depends on collaboration with partners who understand the operational, regulatory, and cultural nuances of legacy facilities.
By seeking out experts attuned to these environments, manufacturers ensure that innovation uplifts the workforce and existing processes.
With the right technology and partnership, legacy plants can close the gap between tradition and transformation, realizing new gains in uptime, quality, and employee engagement while confidently meeting the future where it stands.
