While it is becoming difficult to secure manpower in manufacturing, warehousing, and service industries, there is a high need for labor-saving through automation of operations, but each business site has its own issues. Simply introducing AMR will not produce the desired effect.

Focusing on "connection," PLiBOT could respond to the issues of each business site with high flexibility and with reduced initial costs by realizing following two points.

• AMRs are connected to one integrated control platform "PLiBOT™" and are managed centrally.
• Customer's equipment and material information are connected to the same platform for cooperative management.

In addition, presenting a wide variety of AMR such as cleaning and security besides transportation, PLiBOT provides customer-made solutions.

Obayashi developed a logistics system connecting AMR and a temporary elevator at a construction site and demonstrated a transport autonomous and labor-saving solution.

With expanding business application besides construction sites in mind, Obayashi concluded a partnership with BlueBotics (Switzerland), which boasts the world's largest market share for navigation systems (ANT®), the brain of AMR. "PLiBOT" is improved system so that multiple ANRs connected to building equipment can be controlled in cooperation.

"PLiBOT" can centrally manage not only material transport but also cleaning and on-site monitoring according to the type of AMR and existing equipment. Connecting various state-of-the-art AMRs leads to expand the line-up of solutions. In order to realize this, PLiBOT has formed a business ecosystem with various companies, such as signing sales agency agreements with manufacturers around the world that develop AMRs loaded with ANT, and establishing a maintenance support system in Japan.

In the future, PLiBOT will add a lineup that supports various applications such as security, not limited to transportation and cleaning, and will work to develop AMRs that meet customer needs. Also, PLiBOT will work to support navigation systems other than ANT.

The Obayashi group aims to expand business portfolio for sustainable growth. PLiBOT is the first spin-off company from Business Innovation Division as a new business initiative. The group continues to provide solutions to social challenges on sustainability as a new business opportunity with its technology and business innovation.