Opto-guidance and geo-guidance refer to AGV/AMR navigation methods that use no buried wire: opto-guidance follows visual markers on the floor (colored strips, markings), while geo-guidance relies on the building's natural features (walls, columns, racking) captured by sensors to localize itself, with no markings to install at all.
Opto-guidance, geo-guidance: two concepts to distinguish carefully
These two terms are not strictly standardized in French-language professional documentation; the definition below reflects common industry usage and should be confirmed manufacturer by manufacturer. Opto-guidance, historically, refers to guidance by an optical sensor following a colored or reflective strip laid or painted on the floor: simpler to install than a buried wire, but still dependent on physical markings that must be maintained.
Geo-guidance goes further: the vehicle locates itself directly from the site's existing features (building structure, racking, fixed obstacles), with no markings to install at all. Balyo, for example, claims a "proprietary geo-guidance" combined with 3D LiDAR and a digital twin of the site, with no infrastructure. Fenwick-Linde highlights, for its T-MATIC automated pallet truck, "geo-navigation by optical sensors" with no floor infrastructure. These examples show that, in commercial usage, geo-guidance covers a family of techniques very close to the SLAM used by AMRs.
In short: wire-guidance and LGV impose a physical infrastructure (wire, reflectors); opto-guidance reduces this constraint to a simple visual marking; geo-guidance and SLAM dispense with it entirely by making use of the environment as it is. See the dedicated entries for each technology.
For a buyer, the question to ask every manufacturer remains the same: what must be physically installed on-site before the robot goes into service? A wire, reflectors and floor markings mean construction work and upkeep; the complete absence of physical reference points, claimed under the terms "geo-guidance" or "infrastructure-free navigation," should nonetheless be verified in practice, especially in heavily congested or changing areas.
FAQ
Are opto-guidance and geo-guidance the same thing as SLAM?
Geo-guidance and SLAM both rely on recognizing the environment rather than on physical infrastructure, but SLAM more precisely refers to simultaneous real-time mapping and localization using sensors (LiDAR, cameras). Geo-guidance is often used as a commercial synonym for SLAM applied to AGVs/AMRs.
Does opto-guidance require floor markings?
In its historical usage, yes: colored or reflective strips guide an onboard optical sensor. This definition still needs confirming manufacturer by manufacturer, as the term is not strictly standardized; some also use it for vision-based navigation with no physical markings.
Related terms
The PUDU MP2000 combines 3D LiDAR and cameras rather than floor markings. Contact us to see whether this approach suits your site.