SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS designs and manufactures a broad lineup of autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), each tailored to optimize different aspects of intralogistics in modern industrial settings. Their key platforms include:
- Sherpa F – An AMR dedicated to automated pallet transport on the floor, balancing maneuverability with dependable load handling.
- Sherpa B – Geared toward automating bin and case transport, making it ideal for repetitive, mid-range material movement.
- Sherpa D – Specially built to move dollies, wheeled pedestals, bin stacks, and rolling trays, streamlining workflows that involve multiple smaller containers.
- Sherpa P – Engineered for pallets and crates, providing sturdy support for heavier or bulkier loads.
Each model features a compact footprint, robust build quality, and intuitive user interfaces, enabling smooth deployment across a wide spectrum of production and warehouse environments. In November 2023, SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS and NODE Robotics initiated a strategic partnership to enhance these AMRs with advanced software modules for localization, navigation, and fleet management. The joint solution is designed to excel under today’s stringent intralogistics requirements, while also offering a scalable foundation for future autonomous capabilities.
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From our initial discussions to the delivery of our inaugural joint project, we've been profoundly impressed by the efficiency and transparency of our collaboration with NODE Robotics.
- Stéphane Sandner, CEO SHERPA Mobile Robotics
Partnership Overview
By integrating NODE Robotics’ software solutions with SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS’ AMR platforms, end users gain modular and user-friendly systems that adapt seamlessly to shifting operational needs. Since late 2023, NODE Robotics’ core technologies NODE.localize and NODE.move have been integral to this collaboration, ensuring precise real-time localization and advanced path planning for seamless AMR navigation.
More than 30 different mobile robots already leverage these combined technologies, demonstrating dependable performance in daily operations. Additionally, SHERPA-F vehicles now integrate effortlessly with fleet managers such as SYNAOS IMP and idealworks AnyFleet—a capability enabled by the VDA 5050 protocol within NODE.move.
Challenges and Objectives
- Complex Feature Integration
SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS required a flexible software stack to incorporate proprietary functionalities—such as its fleet management system and in-house developed features like Follow-Me mode—without compromising overall stability or performance.
- Fleet Management Compatibility
Many manufacturing and logistics sites deploy multiple brands of autonomous vehicles. Ensuring SHERPA AMRs could interoperate with various third-party fleet managers was critical for broad market acceptance.
- Dynamic Operating Conditions
Regularly changing facility layouts, variable traffic patterns, and frequent throughput demands necessitated robust, real-time solutions for localization and path planning.
- Scalability for Future Growth
Both teams pursued a modular software approach to minimize engineering overhead, expedite the rollout of new products or features, and stay ahead of evolving industry requirements.
Software Solutions by NODE Robotics
- Live SLAM and Localization with NODE.localize
NODE.localize continuously builds and updates maps, allowing Sherpa B, D, F and P to maintain high positional accuracy amid layout changes.
This live approach reduces or eliminates the downtime typically required for re-mapping, ensuring uninterrupted operations.
- Advanced Navigation with NODE.move
NODE.move, currently implemented on Sherpa F, goes beyond traditional path planning, supporting agile obstacle avoidance and variable speed controls.
Compliance with VDA 5050 standards enables unified fleet management across mixed-robot deployments.
- Seamless Integration for OEMs
Modular Design: NODE Robotics’ open software architecture can be selectively combined with SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS’ proprietary features—such as its developed Follow-Me mode—allowing each AMR platform to be tailored for specific operational needs for end-users.
Efficient Deployment: Straightforward software configuration reduces installation complexity, accelerates time-to-market, and gives end users the autonomy to implement process changes on their own.
- Flexible Connections to Agnostic Fleet Managers
Built-in connectors ensure SHERPA robots can interface with systems like SYNAOS IMP or idealworks AnyFleet—both operating with VDA 5050-compliant standards.
This capability simplifies fleet-wide control in facilities where multiple AMR brands coexist, enhancing logistical coherence and efficiency.
Demonstrated Success and Impact
• Swift Integration and Deployment
Field results indicate a substantial reduction in setup time when combining SHERPA hardware with NODE Robotics software. Many industrial clients have moved from pilot testing to full-scale production within days or weeks.
• Robust Performance in Evolving Environments
Real-time SLAM and localization enable reliable operation even when facility layouts or throughput requirements shift, thereby increasing consistency and minimizing workflow interruptions.
• Scalable, Cost-Efficient Upgrades
NODE Robotics’ modular architecture allows SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS to integrate the exact features needed for each AMR model, bypassing the expense of large-scale overhauls. This approach appeals to OEMs and end-users managing substantial fleets.
• Interoperability in Mixed Fleets
Backed by NODE.OS and its VDA 5050 adapter, SHERPA AMRs can seamlessly function alongside robots from other manufacturers. This vendor-agnostic strategy aligns with market demands for flexible, future-ready solutions.
By mid-2025, SHERPA MOBILE ROBOTICS aims to expand NODE.move across additional AMR models, standardizing navigation capabilities and further enhancing system-wide coordination. Both teams plan to further strengthen their collaboration in fleet management, enabling multiple types of mobile robots to operate under a unified software stack—from localization and navigation to overall coordination. This approach reduces complexity for end users, facilitates the scaling of automation in factories and warehouses, and supports advanced tasks such as inter-floor movements and dynamic scheduling under minimal operator supervision. As the partnership evolves, it continues to meet stringent intralogistics demands while exploring new frontiers in autonomous mobility.
