This design integrates industrial-grade hardware, AI computing, and ROS 2 software to simplify development, reduce integration complexity, and speed deployment of next-generation mobile robots.
Autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) are becoming indispensable across modern factories, warehouses, laboratories, and logistics facilities, where they improve operational efficiency through intelligent navigation and automated material handling. However, designing an industrial-grade AMR requires seamless integration of power management, motor control, sensing, artificial intelligence, localization, and software, making development both time-consuming and technically challenging. To simplify this process, Arrow Electronics, through its engineering services subsidiary eInfochips, has collaborated with STMicroelectronics to introduce a comprehensive industrial AMR reference design that provides OEMs and system integrators with a validated foundation for rapid product development.
The reference platform combines a complete STMicroelectronics bill of materials with NVIDIA’s Jetson Orin Nano AI computing platform and the NVIDIA ROS 2 software ecosystem, delivering an end-to-end solution that significantly reduces engineering effort. Arrow and eInfochips contribute their proven Rover mechanical platform and extensive system integration expertise, while STMicroelectronics supplies industrial-grade semiconductor components, embedded controllers, and reference hardware optimized for robotics applications. The result is a production-ready development platform that enables engineers to focus on product differentiation instead of subsystem integration.
Designed for industrial environments, the platform features a robust power architecture supporting 24V battery operation with a validated migration path to future 48V systems. An STM32-based real-time controller board acts as the central interface between the NVIDIA AI processor and the robot’s sensors, actuators, and motion control systems, ensuring deterministic real-time performance while enabling high-level AI processing.
Motion control is implemented using dual brushless DC (BLDC) motor drives based on STSPIN32 and STDRIVE devices, providing precise speed regulation, smooth navigation, and reliable operation in demanding industrial applications. The platform also incorporates an extensive sensor suite, including ST MEMS inertial measurement units (IMUs), magnetometers, and environmental sensors, complemented by lidar and vision systems to support simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM). This combination enables accurate indoor positioning, obstacle detection, and autonomous navigation in dynamic environments.
Software integration is equally comprehensive. The reference design supports the industrial ROS 2 framework and includes compatibility with widely adopted robotics tools such as Cartographer for mapping, NAV2 for autonomous navigation, and RViz ROS 2 for visualization and system monitoring. This pre-integrated software environment allows developers to rapidly evaluate navigation algorithms, perception capabilities, and robotic behaviors without building the software infrastructure from scratch.
By delivering a fully tested hardware and software platform, the reference design minimizes development risk, shortens validation cycles, and accelerates time-to-market. Robot manufacturers can begin with a fully operational AMR incorporating chassis, electronics, and software, while leveraging Arrow and eInfochips engineering services to customize mechanical design, application-specific features, and cost optimization. Supported by STMicroelectronics’ long-term product availability and comprehensive component portfolio, the platform offers a scalable foundation for developing reliable, intelligent, and industrial-ready autonomous mobile robots across manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, and commercial automation sectors.
