Survey on infrastructure reduced logistics - the way to a hub to move

Common aim of a significant high number of inventions in the field of production and logistics in the near past and future is the reduction of infrastructure to the immediate need. By means of decentralized, scalable and mobile elements this target can be achieved and will help to increase economical feasibility of solutions for production and logistics. Especially in the field of logistics the absence of an adequate degree of added value prevents cost intensive automation of technical processes (e.g. storage, handling, and transport). Among others the Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics developed solutions and concepts which could contribute to implement the required rise in efficiency through automation. In this paper an overview of transport systems, intelligent loading devices (bins) and a platform for logistics services is presented. These owe their flexibility, completely or partial, to a minimum of needed infrastructure. While presenting two automated guided vehicles (agv) with different technical complexity and range of use, it will be shown how highly flexible applications can be designed. A convertible and moveable distribution centre (hub) arises in combination with intelligent bins, a cloud platform operating services that meet costumers' requirements and a flexible building envelope. Hence, automated solutions for storage, bin picking, and transport could be economically and feasibly implemented through new business.