Before the development of automated handling solutions, products in factories were often moved manually using carts, trolleys or forklifts (both powered and non-powered). Over time, many of these manual handling platforms have become inefficient and often dangerous, and various system types have become more widely used for automation, including:

Traction transporters have been used in manufacturing plants for more than 100 years. A form of these systems, namely, pull-type transporter (traction transport machine, tractor, construction line handling machine), has been widely used in the need to continue to move forward the gradual operation of manufacture process. Manufacturing environment most of traction line handling systems use hollow traction line (usually a chain) to drive the wheels of the car, along the path of a fixed by order of the workstation.

The development of traction systems requires extensive construction and engineering of their operating environment. It usually requires deep trenches in the ground and a lot of concrete/civil works. In response to changing business needs and reconfigure the traditional traction line based on the chain is a very human cost, cost and time of work.

AGV is a mobile robot, use tape, RFID tags, light, laser or other means to guide them along the path of a predetermined by facilities. The navigation path of the AGV can be changed relatively easily by repositioning the guide rail of the control system. Modes like tape are the least costly, but most expensive to maintain, method of navigation.

AGV is a common form of robotic handling in manufacturing environments for applications such as parts delivery. Because AGVs are designed to move continuously along a fixed path, they are also well suited to replace traditional conveyor systems for moving work-in-process during manufacturing operations. In addition, since each AGV unit can be controlled separately, the assembly line can be decoupled. For example, some manufacturers strategically plan buffer zones, queue locations, or in-process Kanban (IPK) to help smooth station-to-station time imbalances. The AGV is separated from the previous unit and is able to advance from the completed workstation to the buffer to keep the line moving in case the next station may temporarily block.

Types of autonomous walking unmanned transport vehicles include lightweight "towed" AGVs (towing unpowered carts to transport cargo), and heavy duty, high-payload systems (" heavy-duty "AGVs) that can transport discrete, multi-ton objects. Reloading the AGV is increasingly used to making heavy products from a manufacture stage to another phase.

AGV with accurate calibration of acceleration and deceleration, and adopt different sensing technology to detect and obstacles, according to the object's proximity to slow down or stop, and when the path is clear to start again. More recently, some AGVs have incorporated technologies such as vision systems and LiDAR, allowing them to navigate autonomously in a manner similar to autonomous mobile robots).