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 autonomous pallet truck combines 3D LiDAR and cameras rather than floor markings. Contact us to see whether this approach suits your site.
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