- Mobile Robots
- Digitalization
Minimised time and effort, maximised information: IO-Link in mobile robots

Time is an important factor for mobile robots. Downtime and costly maintenance measures reduce fleet profitability, as do long production cycles in robot manufacturing. With more accurate information from a mobile robot’s sensors, maintenance requirements can be identified in good time and repairs can be factored into fleet scheduling. This prevents performance losses in the logistics process.
Powerful, high-resolution HMIs ensure clear human-machine communication. Order data, process progress or insights into the mobile robot’s condition can thus be easily obtained on site, while LED strips or signal lamps provide information about the current status already from a distance.
With IO-Link, the technology for digital data communication, it is possible to positively influence the two critical factors of maintenance requirements and production speed. This is facilitated by various features: the simple, guaranteed error-free wiring concept, the large portfolio covering sensors, data infrastructure and wireless connection to the IT level, and the additional information provided by the sensors via IO-Link.
Access to information through digitalisation
Problem
The performance of one or more mobile robots in the fleet drops. The cause of the error is not obvious, leading to an intensive inspection of the vehicles. The efficiency of the fleet decreases and downstream processes could be affected.
Solution
Sensors send additional information to the IT level via IO-Link. Temperature values or the function status of sensors, for example, can be easily viewed. This makes troubleshooting easier and speeds up the repair process.
Problem
Wiring analogue sensors can be cumbersome and time-consuming, especially in space-constrained environments. Incorrect wiring can occur when replacing a sensor. There is also the additional step of setting the sensor parameters before installation. Here, it is important to ensure that all values are set correctly.
Solution
IO-Link sensors are connected via a standard M12 connection, which is guaranteed to be error-free. The connection concept – plug in, tighten, done – is easy to implement even in confined installation spaces. As the parameters of each sensor can be stored on the associated IO-Link master and automatically transferred to the new sensor, parameter setting as a potential source of error is also eliminated.
Problem
When a mobile robot stops, there can be several reasons. Is there a fault? Have all the jobs been completed? Is the robot waiting for manual or IT confirmation? Without sufficient on-site communication options between humans and mobile robots, downtime can quickly have a massive impact on the performance of the entire intralogistics system.
Solution
With ifm’s compact, high-resolution 4.3-inch HMI, intralogistics personnel can interact directly with the mobile robot. Error messages or order statuses can be displayed. This provides clarity on site and makes it easier to deal with the stop.
IO-Link benefits at a glance
- Open standard – unlimited portfolio
With our large IO-Link portfolio, we can offer you the right solution for almost any application in mobile robots. As IO-Link is an open, digital IO technology, you can even seamlessly integrate IO-Link products from other manufacturers into the infrastructure.
- Undistorted data for the controller and IT level
IO-Link offers you a convenient way of transmitting data to both the controller and the IT level. Thanks to digital, interference-free data transmission, the data reaches the receiver unaltered, without the need for shielded, earthed cables.
- Clear status display
Our LED strips make the status of mobile robots visible from a distance. Seven different colours, which can be changed via IO-Link, provide sufficient variance to represent the different states of the mobile robot.