energies
Article
Risk Related to AGV Systems—Open-Access Literature Review
Agnieszka A. Tubis * and Honorata Poturaj
Citation: Tubis, A.A.; Poturaj, H. Risk
Related to AGV Systems—Open-Access
Literature Review. Energies 2022, 15,
8910. https://doi.org/10.3390/
en15238910
Academic Editor: Fausto Pedro
García Márquez
Received: 30 October 2022
Accepted: 21 November 2022
Published: 25 November 2022
Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral
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Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.
This article is an open access article
distributed under the terms and
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Attribution (CC BY) license (https://
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4.0/).
Energies 2022, 15, 8910. https://doi.org/10.3390/en15238910
Department of Technical Systems Operation and Maintenance, Wroclaw University of Science and Technology,
50-370 Wroclaw, Poland
* Correspondence: agnieszka.tubis@pwr.edu.pl
Abstract: AGV systems are considered a necessary element of the recently created cyber-physical
systems whose task is to support material flows in intelligent factories. The implementation of AGV
systems in cyber-physical systems generates new types of threats, and the level of risk of adverse
events related to the operation of these systems is changing. This article aims to present the results of
an open-access literature review, the purpose of which was to identify issues addressed in studies of
the analysis and risk management of AGV systems, to group publications according to the proposed
topical framework, and to identify gaps in the current research. We used the PRISMA concept to
review the literature. After completing all stages of the procedure, 153 publications on risk in AGV
systems were selected for analysis. To ensure the high quality of the analysis, access to the full
texts of the selected documents was necessary. For this reason, we have limited the collection to
open-access publications. The results of the analysis allowed us to distinguish 12 primary categories
and 26 additional subcategories within the literature. These categories are characterized by different
numbers of publications and cover different AGV systems operation areas. The simultaneous
assignment of documents to several subcategories indicates the need for a holistic view of issues
related to the risk of AGV operation in operating environments with varying degrees of automation.
An essential scientific contribution of our analysis is the identification of a research gap. The analyzed
publications lacked studies on methods of risk identification and assessment that take into account
the specificity of AGV operation, especially in the cyber-physical systems of Logistics 4.0.
Keywords: automated guided vehicle; autonomous guided vehicle; PRISMA; classification
1. Introduction
AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) are mobile robots used primarily in internal
logistics in the warehouse service process and production logistics services in production
plants, warehouses, distribution centers, and trans-shipment terminals. The benefits that
AGVs brought to the production hall and the warehouse, such as reduced labor costs,
excellent safety, accuracy, and productivity, were also noticed by other sectors, such as
retail, e-commerce, and even the military and healthcare [1]. Although AGV systems have
been known of for several decades, it was only with the development of the Industry
4.0 concept that companies became interested in implementing them in their logistics
processes on a large scale. AGV systems are considered an important element of the created
cyber-physical systems, whose task is to support material flows in intelligent factories.
The implementation of AGVs involves significant investment costs in fixed assets [2].
However, it should be noted that their use generates savings at the stage of their operation.
The most critical potentials in terms of cost reduction include [3]:
• Lower maintenance expenses compared to conventional vehicles;
• The ability to work 24/7 with minimal labor and human intervention costs;
• Savings in indirect costs resulting from the improvement of safety and the reduction
of accidents;
• Reduction of remuneration for overtime work;
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/energies
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 2 of 23

• Increased logistics operations’ productivity and the extension of the entire SC’s service
level.
Replacing conventional trucks with AGV systems also benefits the sustainable devel-
opment of logistics operations supporting material flows in supply chains. Firstly, their use
reduces energy consumption, particularly in AGVs with electric drives [4]. AGVs generate
reduced atmospheric emissions of particle matter and greenhouse gasses like CO2 and
NO2 [5]. Secondly, this effect is further enhanced by minimizing empty-travel distances
through a continuous process of optimizing vehicle paths [6]. Thirdly, the distinct contribu-
tions of AGVs include their social impact and their improvement of human safety, primarily
by reducing the number of accidents in warehouse processes involving employees [7,8].
The design and control processes of AGVs are complex due to the nature of the opera-
tions performed and their cooperation with other elements of the logistics and production
system as well as with people. Until recently, the most critical issues related to the planning
and control of their activities included [9]:
• Guide-path design;
• Estimating the number of vehicles required (or determining vehicle requirements),
• Vehicle scheduling;
• Idle-vehicle positioning;
• Battery management;
• Vehicle routing and deadlock resolution.
The review of publications from recent years indicates that this subject is still relevant
in publications on the functioning of AGVs (including [10]). However, the development
of the Industry 4.0 concept and the use of AGVs in intelligent material flow handling
systems increases the variety of tasks carried out by AGVs, which are no longer limited to
transport. According to De Ryck et al. [10], future designs for AGV fleets will have to be
more heterogeneous, dynamic, and flexible. Each vehicle will have a specific functionality
and will be able to operate in a flexible production system on a “plug and produce” basis.
This means using AGVs in various operational situations and equipping them with the
tools to perform specific tasks.
Currently, the AGV market is developing rapidly and is very dynamic. As noted by
De Ryck et al. [10], the future development of AGV systems will be dominated by the
following trends that are currently observed in the industry:
• The emergence of flexible production systems;
• A growing demand for non-standard AGVs;
• The adaptation of AGV systems to the specificity of enterprises from the SME sector;
• The construction of ever more extensive and complex systems to meet the transport
needs of the factory.
There is no doubt, however, that the growing popularity of the Industry 4.0 concept
will impact the further development of AGV systems. AGV systems are considered one of
the essential elements of intelligent factories and smart warehouses. In smart warehouses,
they are used primarily in handling operations, picking, packing, and palletizing [11].
However, it should be noted that the implementation of AGV systems in cyber-physical
systems generates new types of hazards, and the risk level of adverse events related to the
operation of these systems changes. For this reason, it is necessary to carry out scientific
research in order to develop guidelines for the operation and maintenance of AGVs, build
resilient internal logistics systems, and manage safety in the created cyber-physical systems.
The safety and efficiency of AGV systems operation will determine the further development
of this technology as a critical element of the technical systems designed in Industry 4.0.
This article aims to present the results of our literature review, which was aimed
at identifying issues described in the analysis and risk management of AGV systems,
grouping publications according to the adopted qualifications framework, and identifying
the current research gap. Only open-access publications were included in the analysis. Such
proceedings resulted from the need to analyze the full texts of documents to ensure the
 • A review of the literature on the risks associated with the functioning of A
tems from the last five years;
• The development of a two-level classification framework for publications f
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 analyzed area according to the assumptions of the concept map; 3 of 23
• The completion of the qualification procedure following the adopted distribu
teria based on the results of the literature research;
quality
• of the
The classification procedure.
identification of gaps inAccordingly,
the researchtherelated
main contributions
to the riskofofthis paperAGV sy
using
include:
current anthropotechnical systems.
• A review of the literature on the risks associated with the functioning of AGV systems
Thethe
from outline ofyears;
last five this review paper is as follows: Section 2 presents the test meth
•Section 3 describes the
The development of a main results
two-level of the bibliometric
classification framework foranalysis. Section
publications from4the
presents
analyzed area according to the assumptions of the concept map;
results of the analytical procedure, including a map of concepts, the division into
•riesThe
andcompletion of the qualification
subcategories, the results procedure following theprocedure,
of the classification adopted distribution
and the charac
criteria based on the results of the literature research;
•of articles assigned to individual primary categories. Section 5 discusses the res
The identification of gaps in the research related to the risk of using AGV systems in
identifies
current the research gaps
anthropotechnical in the analyzed area. Finally, Section 6 describes the
systems.
sions
Theofoutline
the bibliometric
of this review analysis
paper is asand other
follows: planned
Section research
2 presents lines.
the test method used.
Section 3 describes the main results of the bibliometric analysis. Section 4 presents detailed
results of the analytical procedure, including a map of concepts, the division into categories
2. Methodology
and subcategories, the results of the classification procedure, and the characteristics of
articlesTo find and
assigned select literature
to individual that describes
primary categories. Sectiontopics related
5 discusses the to the and
results design an
automated
identifies guidedgaps
the research vehicles for this area.
in the analyzed paper, the PRISMA
Finally, (The Preferred
Section 6 describes Reporting I
the conclusions
of the bibliometric analysis and other planned research lines.
Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) framework was used. In 2009 Moher d
how to create a systematic review that “uses systematic and explicit methods to
2. Methodology
select, and critically evaluate relevant research, and to collect and analyze data f
To find and select literature that describes topics related to the design and use of
automatedincluded
studies in thefor
guided vehicles review” [12].
this paper, theThis procedure
PRISMA involves
(The Preferred implementing
Reporting Items for three
stages of Reviews
Systematic article selection: identification,
and Meta-Analyses) frameworkscreening,
was used.and eligibility.
In 2009 The entire pr
Moher described
how to create a systematic review that “uses systematic
should be performed following the established chronology. and explicit methods to identify,
select, and critically evaluate relevant research, and to collect and analyze data from the
First, the structure and guidelines of the PRISMA method were analyzed i
studies included in the review” [12]. This procedure involves implementing three primary
This allowed
stages us to choose
of article selection: a reliable
identification, database,
screening, and define identification
eligibility. and selection
The entire procedure
and select
should the most
be performed relevant
following thescientific
establishedarticles.
chronology.
First, the structure and guidelines of the PRISMA method were analyzed in detail.
This
2.1. allowed us to choose a reliable database, define identification and selection criteria,
Identification
and select the most relevant scientific articles.
In the identification step, the Web of Science Core Collection (WoS CC) was
2.1. Identification
as the database for this study. This limitation of the study to the Web of Science d
was intentional. The step,
In the identification the Webaccepted
publishers of Science for
Core Collection
analysis at (WoS CC)
a later was chosen
stage of the selectio
as the database for this study. This limitation of the study to the Web of Science database
their publications in the WoS CC and Scopus databases simultaneously. For this
was intentional. The publishers accepted for analysis at a later stage of the selection index
the search
their procedure
publications in the WoSconducted in thedatabases
CC and Scopus Scopus database with For
simultaneously. the this
same limitations
reason,
significantly
the affectconducted
search procedure the number in theand
Scopus type of publications
database with the sameaccepted fordid
limitations further
not analy
significantly affect the number and type of publications accepted
keywords for the search were defined as “AGV” or “automated guided vehicle for further analysis. The
keywords
selectionfor the search
criterion were defined
allowed for theas “AGV”
findingor(as
“automated guided vehicles”.
of 30 September 2022) of This
3611 doc
selection criterion allowed for the finding (as of 30 September 2022) of 3611 documents.
The main search has been refined for the current review by adding the attribute “
The main search has been refined for the current review by adding the attribute “risk” to
thesearch
the search criteria.
criteria. AfterAfter thestage
the first firstofstage of the framework,
the PRISMA PRISMA framework,
3003 documents 3003 documen
were
extracted.
extracted. TheThe identification
identification stage isstage is fullyinshown
fully shown Figure 1.in Figure 1.

Figure
Figure 1. 1. Identification
Identification stage.stage.
 2.2. Screening
The second step was to perform a search based on the defined criteria. First, the
cluded publications were limited to those available in open access because they allow
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 access to the full content of the reviewed works. Our preliminary research has shown th
4 of 23
many abstracts are prepared in a general way, which makes it impossible to assign
article to a specific category unambiguously. Only a detailed analysis of the results d
2.2. in
scribed Screening
the publication allows for its unambiguous assignment to the categories a
subcategoriessecond
The step was toinperform
distinguished a search based
the classification on the defined
procedure. Thiscriteria. First, in
was critical thethe case
included publications were limited to those available in open access because they allowed
the analyzed documents. Many results related to two or three possible categories or su
access to the full content of the reviewed works. Our preliminary research has shown that
categories, and
many abstracts their correct inassignment
are prepared a general way,would be impossible
which makes it impossible without
to assign an analysis of
an article
complete text. For
to a specific this reason,
category we decided
unambiguously. Only ato analyze
detailed onlyof
analysis those articles
the results to which
described in we ha
the publication
open access. allows for its unambiguous assignment to the categories and subcategories
distinguished in the classification procedure. This was critical in the case of the analyzed
Second, the search has been limited to articles and proceedings papers. This revi
documents. Many results related to two or three possible categories or subcategories, and
focuses
theiron automated
correct assignment guided
wouldvehicles,
be impossible known
withoutof for decades
an analysis butcomplete
of the developed recently d
text. For
to thethis
fourth industrial
reason, we decided revolution
to analyze only andthose
the concept
articles toofwhich
Logistics
we have4.0. Consequently,
open access. the d
range forSecond, the search
published has has
articles beenbeen
limited to articles
defined as and
from proceedings
2018 to 30 papers. This review
September 2022 (the d
of thefocuses
databaseon automated
search).guided
This time vehicles, known
limit was of for decades
selected duebut to developed
two criteria: recently
(1) due
the results
to the fourth industrial revolution and the concept of Logistics 4.0. Consequently, the date
the analysis of articles from the “literature review” group, which indicate an increase
range for published articles has been defined as from 2018 to 30 September 2022 (the day
publications on AGV
of the database systems
search). This timein the last
limit was five years;
selected due(2)togrowing interest
two criteria: (1) the in the Industry
results of
concept, which of
the analysis has also from
articles beenthe increasing
“literaturesince
review”2018.
group, which indicate an increase in
publications on AGV was
The last criterion systems in the last
related five publishers.
to the years; (2) growing The interest
concept in the Industry 4.04.0 and
of Industry
concept, which has also been increasing since 2018.
search on AGV systems is new and still under intense development. Although the subj
The last criterion was related to the publishers. The concept of Industry 4.0 and
is topical
researchandon appears
AGV systems in almost
is new and allstill
leading publications,
under intense development. threeAlthough
clear leaders dominate
the subject
number of publications
is topical and appears in onalmost
the issue under
all leading study. Therefore,
publications, three clear they
leaderscan be considered
dominate in
number of publications on the issue under study. Therefore,
publishers promoting and shaping the current research direction for AGV systems. F they can be considered the
publishers promoting and shaping the current research direction for AGV systems. For
this reason, articles published exclusively by Elsevier, IEEE, and MDPI were selected
this reason, articles published exclusively by Elsevier, IEEE, and MDPI were selected for
analysis.
analysis.
The Thescreening
screeningstage wascompleted
stage was completed withwith 195 articles;
195 articles; all of theall of theprocesses
screening screening are proces
are shown
shown in inFigure
Figure 2. 2.

Figure 2. Screening
Figure stage.
2. Screening stage.

2.3. Eligibility
2.3. Eligibility
The qualifying stage consisted of checking the quality of the documents found. Each of
The qualifyingunder
the publications stage consisted
study of checking
was carefully read. Thisthe
madequality of the
it possible documents
to finally found. Ea
define the
framework of the proposed structure of the thematic grouping of the documents.
of the publications under study was carefully read. This made it possible to finally def At this
stage, articlesof
the framework whose
the qualifications were unjustified
proposed structure of theand resulted grouping
thematic from the WoS ofCC thebrowser
documents.
search algorithm were also excluded; for example, the same ‘AGV’ abbreviation appears in
this stage,
articles articles whose qualifications
about above-ground were unjustified
volume, autonomous and
ground vehicles, resulted
apple from and
geminivirus, the WoS C
browser search algorithm were also excluded; for example, the same
the Ahmed glaucoma valve. Also, some articles were classified as irrelevant, e.g., AGV was‘AGV’ abbreviati
appears
usedinasarticles
a tool or about
example,above-ground
not as the main volume,
subject. Inautonomous ground
all, 153 documents vehicles,for
were extracted apple ge
further analysis. The eligibility process is presented schematically in Figure
inivirus, and the Ahmed glaucoma valve. Also, some articles were classified as irreleva 3.
e.g., AGV was used as a tool or example, not as the main subject. In all, 153 docume
were extracted for further analysis. The eligibility process is presented schematically
Figure 3.
rgies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of

Energies 2022,
Energies 2022,15,
15,x8910
FOR PEER REVIEW 5 of 23 5 of 2

Figure 3. Eligibility stage.

3. Bibliometric Analysis
Figure3.3.Eligibility
Figure Eligibility stage.
stage.
The created collection of articles related to Automated Guided Vehicles and risk includ
3. Bibliometric
116 articles and 37Analysis
proceedings papers.
3. Bibliometric Analysis
The created collection
The analysis conducted indicates of articles related Automated
thattothe subjectGuided
of AGVsVehicles andarisk
saw includes increa
significant
The created
116 articles collection ofpapers.
and 37 proceedings articles related to Automated Guided Vehicles and risk include
in the116
number
articles ofand
related publications
37 proceedings in 2021. The increase is related to new possibilit
papers.
The analysis conducted indicates that the subject of AGVs saw a significant increase
resulting
in thefrom
The
number technological
analysis conducted
of related development
indicates
publications that
in 2021. and the
theincrease
The situation
subject isofrelated
AGVs intosaw
the
newworld resulting
a possibilities
significant fro
increas
the coronavirus
in the number
resulting from pandemic
of related
technological inpublications
2020–2021.
developmentThis in
and situation
2021.
the triggered
The increase
situation in theisworlda demand
related to newfor
resulting automat
possibilitie
from
solutions
the in transport
coronavirus
resulting frompandemic and in forced
technological the replacement
2020–2021. This situation
development and the ofsituation
humans
triggered inwith
a demand automated
the for automated
world resultingsolutio
from
solutions
for repetitive in transport
operations.
the coronavirus and
pandemic forced
In 2022, the replacement
throughThis
in 2020–2021. of humans
30 September, with automated
33 related
situation triggered solutions
articles
a demand and pap
for automated
for repetitive operations. In 2022, through 30 September, 33 related articles and papers
solutions
werewere
published. in transport and forced the replacement of humans
As 30 September is the end of the third quarter of the year, it is with automated solution
possi
published. As 30 September is the end of the third quarter of the year, it is possible
for
to estimaterepetitive
thatthat operations.
thethenumber In 2022, through
of publications
publications 30 September, 33 related articles and paper
to estimate number of willwill increase
increase to aroundto around
50. The 50. Theofnumber
number
were
scientific published.
publications
scientific As
publicationsover 30 September
over the is
chosenyears
the chosen the
years end of the
is presented
is presented third quarter
in Figure
in Figure 4. of the
4. year, it is possibl
to estimate that the number of publications will increase to around 50. The number o
scientific publications over the chosen years is presented in Figure 4.

Figure 4. The
Figure number
4. The ofofpublications
number from
publications from 2018
2018 to 30.09.2022.
to 30.09.2022.
Figure 4. The number of publications from 2018 to 30.09.2022.
The leading publisher is MDPI, which published 44% of the papers considered in this
The leading
study.The
publisher
The leading
advantage
is MDPI,
publisher
of MDPIisisMDPI,
which
which
significant
published
andpublished
results from
44%
44% offact
theof
the papers
thethat
papers consideredinin
considered
this publishing thit
study. Thehas
study.
house advantage
Thetheadvantage
shortestofpublication
MDPI
of MDPIis significant
is significant
cycle. Authors and
andresults
are to from
results
eager from the
publish the fact
fact
with thatbecause
that
MDPI thispublishing
this publishi
housetheir
has the shortest
research concernspublication
current cycle.
scientific Authors
trends are
responding eagerto to
the publish
needs
house has the shortest publication cycle. Authors are eager to publish with MDPI becaus of with
the MDPI
industry. becau
their Itresearch
should
their also
research beconcerns
concernsnotedcurrent
thatcurrent
the dominant
scientific share
trends
scientific of this
trends publishing house
responding
responding to themay
to the result
needs
needs offrom
of theindustry
the indust
the fact that all titles published by it are open access. It is further worth emphasizing that
It should also be
It should alsonoted
be notedthatthat
thethe
dominant
dominant share
shareofofthis
thispublishing
publishing house housemay mayresult
resultfrom
fro
the documents published by MDPI include only peer-reviewed articles. The other two
the
the fact fact that all
that allproduced titles published
titles published by
by itandit are
are26% open
open access.
access. It is further worth emphasizing tha
publishers 30% (Elsevier) (IEEE) of theItpapers
is further worthInemphasizing
considered. the case th
the
the documentsdocuments published
published
of these publishing houses,bynotby
MDPIMDPI include
include
all articles only peer-reviewed
only peer-reviewed
are available in open access, which articles.
articles.
mayTheThe other tw
haveother tw
publishers produced 30% (Elsevier) and 26% (IEEE) of the papers considered.InInthe
publishers
resulted in produced
their lower 30%
share of(Elsevier)
the analyzedand 26% (IEEE)
publications. of the
Documents papers considered.
published in Elsevier thecasca
of these
and IEEE publishing
include houses,
collections of not all articles
peer-reviewed are available
articles and in open
conference access,
papers. which may hav
Quantitative
of these publishing houses, not all articles are available in open access, which may ha
resulted
data on theinleading
their lower shareareofpresented
publishers the analyzed publications.
in Table 1. Documents published in Else
resulted in their lower share of the analyzed publications. Documents published in El
vier and IEEE include collections of peer-reviewed articles and conference papers. Quan
vier and IEEE include collections of peer-reviewed articles and conference papers. Qua
titative data on the leading publishers are presented in Table 1.
titative data on the leading publishers are presented in Table 1.
Table 1. The number of publications in the leading publishers.
Table 1. The number of publications in the leading publishers.
Number of Total Number of
Publisher Document Type %
Number of
Documents Total Number of
Publications
Publisher Document Type %
MDPI Articles Documents67 Publications
67 44%
MDPI Articles
Articles 67 32 67 44%
 Energies 2022, 15, 8910 6 of 23

Table 1. The number of publications in the leading publishers.

Number of Total Number of

rgies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW Document Type
Publisher % 6 of
Documents Publications
MDPI Articles 67 67 44%
Articles 32
IEEE 40 26%
Articles Proceedings Papers 17 8
ELSEVIER Articles 46 30%
Proceedings Papers
ELSEVIER 29 17 46 30%
Proceedings Papers 29

The leading journals are IEEE Access, Sensors, Applied Sciences-Basel, Electronics, Jo
The leading journals are IEEE Access, Sensors, Applied Sciences-Basel, Electronics, Journal
nal ofofManufacturing Systems,
Manufacturing Systems, and and Energies.
Energies. A totalA
of total
62% ofofthe62% of the
analyzed analyzed
articles articles w
were pub-
published inthem.
lished in them.The
The number
number of articles
of articles published
published in individual
in individual journals is journals
presentedis in present
in Figure
Figure5.5.

Figure 5. Sources
Figure of of
5. Sources articles.
articles.

Seven proceedings papers were presented at the Symposium on Information Control

Seven proceedings papers were presented at the Symposium on Information Cont
Problems in Manufacturing (INCOM), and two proceedings papers each were presented at
Problems in Manufacturing
the Conference on Intelligent(INCOM),
Computation and in two proceedings
Manufacturing papers (CIRP
Engineering each were
ICME)present
at theand
Conference on Intelligent
the Conference Computation
on Manufacturing Modeling,inManagement
Manufacturing Engineering
and Control (CIRP ICM
(IFAC MIM).
The Conference
and the remaining 26 proceedings papers were
on Manufacturing single presentations
Modeling, Management at various
andconferences in
Control (IFAC MIM
2018–2022. Table 2 shows the above data.
The remaining 26 proceedings papers were single presentations at various conferences
2018–2022. Table 2 shows
Table 2. Proceedings papers the above
presented data.
at conferences.

Conferences Number of Articles %

Table 2. Proceedings papers presented at conferences.
Symposium on Information Control Problems in
7 19%
Manufacturing (INCOM)
Conferences Number of Articles %
Conference on Intelligent Computation in
Symposium on Information Control Problems in Manufacturing 2 7 5%
Manufacturing Engineering (CIRP ICME) (INCOM) 19%
Conference
Conference on Intelligent Computation inon Manufacturing Modeling,
Manufacturing Management
Engineering (CIRP ICME) 2 2 5% 5%
and Control (IFAC MIM)
Conference on Manufacturing Modeling, Management Others and Control (IFAC MIM) 26 2 70% 5%
Others 26 70%
Articles connected to AGV were published in 57 journals and presented at 30 dissimilar
conferences,
Articles hence the to
connected thematic
AGV variety of articles. in 57 journals and presented at 30 dissi
were published
ilar conferences, hence the thematic varietyjournals
The largest number of articles came from and conferences related to the field of
of articles.
Computer Science, because AGV’s systems are automated and based on various algorithms.
The largest
Thirty articlesnumber
each wereof articleson
published came from journals
Engineering and conferences
and Automation related
and Control Systems, theto the fi
of Computer Science, because AGV’s systems are automated and based on various alg
rithms. Thirty articles each were published on Engineering and Automation and Control S
tems, the next most frequently associated research areas. Although AGVs are automa
cally moving vehicles, they still create technical systems. The third largest number of pu
 Energies 2022, 15, 8910 7 of 23

next most frequently associated research areas. Although AGVs are automatically moving
vehicles, they still create technical systems. The third largest number of publications
Energies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW pertained to the field of Chemistry. Automated systems are used in environments hazardous7 of 24
Energies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW for humans, and Chemistry is a sector characterized by high hazards to health and life. All7 of 24
research areas are presented in Figure 6.

Figure
Figure 6. Research
6. 6.
Research areas.
Figure Researchareas.
areas.

Figure
Figure7
Figure 7 7shows
shows divisions
shows divisions created
divisions created
createdbyby publishers
publishers
by publishersand and research
research
and areas. areas.
research As can As
areas. can
can be
be seen,
As all seen,
be seen,
all
all of the publications distinguished in the area of Chemistry were published in MDPI. On
of
of the
the publications
publications distinguished
distinguished in in
the the
area area
of of Chemistry
Chemistry were were published
published in MDPI. in MDPI.
On the On
the other
theother
other hand,
hand,
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OR PEEREnergies
REVIEW 2022, 15, 8910
8 of 248 of 23

Figure 8. Scientific contribution by country

Figure 8. Scientific and by
contribution geographic
country andregion.
geographic region.

4. Results
4. Results
The analysis of the articles obtained in the search process made it possible to distin-
The analysis of the 12
guish articles
primary obtained in6the
categories, search
of which wereprocess madedivided
additionally it possible
into 26tosubcategories.
distin-
guish 12 primary categories, 6 ofwere
Basic categories which were additionally
not subject divided
to further division into
when the 26 subcategories.
number of publications was
small or their thematic differentiation was too large, making it
Basic categories were not subject to further division when the number of publications difficult to distinguish
wasdomi-
nant research areas. Some subcategories could exist in more than one primary category due
small or their thematic differentiation was too large, making it difficult to distinguish
to the interpenetration of specific thematic groups. Single publications which could not be
dominant researchclassified
areas. Some subcategories
into the could exist
distinguished categories inassigned
were more thanto theone primary cate-
“Unclassified” category.
gory due to the interpenetration
All basic categoriesofand
specific thematic
subcategories groups.
and their Single
mutual publications
relations are presentedwhich
in Figure 9
and Table
could not be classified into4.the distinguished categories were assigned to the “Unclassi-
The categories were
fied” category. All basic categories and defined by identifying
subcategories and the dominant
their mutualresearch areasare
relations addressed
pre- in
the analyzed documents. Based on the analysis of abstracts, we distinguished the main
sented in Figure 9 and Table 3.
directions of the research described in the surveyed area. This allowed us to create a
framework for the initial classification structure. However, the abstract descriptions are
only sometimes precise, making it impossible to unambiguously assign the document to
the proposed categories. Therefore, in the next step of the procedure, an analysis of the
complete text was carried out, making it possible to verify the correctness of the categories
and subcategories we defined in the first stage of the research. The overall analysis of the
document was also the basis for assigning each publication to the appropriate category and
subcategory.
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 9 of 23
Energies 2022, 15, x FOR PEER REVIEW 9 of 24

Figure 9. Articles divided into primary categories and subcategories.

Figure 9. Articles divided into primary categories and subcategories.
Table 3. Articles divided into primary categories and subcategories.
Table 3. Articles divided into primary categories and subcategories.
Primary Category Subcategory Articles
Primary Category Avoiding collisions or Subcategory
conflicts between AGVs Articles
[13–27]
Avoiding
Avoiding collisions collisions
with other or conflicts
elements of thebetween
operationAGVs
environment [13–27]
[15,28–38]
Safety Avoiding collisions with other elements of the
Cybersecurity [39,40]
[15,28–38]
Safety operation environment
Stability of AGVs [41,42]
Cybersecurity [39,40]
ConsideringStability
the battery capacity
of AGVs [36,45–53]
[41,42]
Considering the limitation of the company’s resources [54,55]
Considering the battery capacity [36,43–51]
Avoiding collisions
Considering orlimitation
the conflicts of
between AGVs
the company’s [56–59]
[52,53]
Using learning algorithms to optimize
resources the obtained solutions [60]
Scheduling
Avoiding collisions
Using or conflicts
the Digital Twinbetween AGVs [54–57]
[59,61]
Using learning algorithms
Decentralized planningto optimize the [57,62,63]
Scheduling [58]
obtained solutions
Elimination of any disruptions in the production
Using the Digital Twin system [14,26,27]
[57,59]
Other
Decentralized planning [42,58,59,64–68]
[55,60,61]
Adapting to the specificity
Elimination of cyber-physical
of any disruptions systems
in the production [69–72]
[14,26,27]
system
Using the Digital Twin [73–77]
Industry 4.0 Other [42,56,57,62–66]
Improving productivity and increasing profitability [78,79]
Adapting to theOther
specificity of cyber-physical [80–83]
[67–70]
Decentralized systems
path planning [23,25,52,89]
Using the Digital Twin [71–75]
Industry 4.0 AvoidingImproving
collisionsproductivity
or conflicts and
between AGVs [15–25]
increasing
Avoiding collisions with other elements of the operation environment [76,77]
[15,32–37]
profitability
Path planning
Other [78–81]
[17–
Increasing efficiency and introduction of optimalization 24,32,33,35,36,43,51,52,85–
88]
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 10 of 23

Table 4. Articles divided into primary categories and subcategories.

Primary Category Subcategory Articles

Decentralized path planning [23,25,50,82]
Avoiding collisions or conflicts between AGVs [15–25]
Avoiding collisions with other elements of the
[15,32–37]
operation environment
Path planning Increasing efficiency and introduction of
[17–24,32,33,35,36,49,50,83–87]
optimalization
Increasing energetic efficiency and decreasing
[36,49–51]
energy consumption
Connecting with task scheduling [15–18,25,34,83,88]
Implementation of dynamic path planning [16,17,19,22–24,32,34,35,37,87,89]
New solutions [90–92]
New integrations [93]
Navigation New conditions of use [94,95]
Improvements affecting navigation system [1,13,96–99]
Powering of AGV [100–105]
Charging of AGV [100–106]
Energy storage Efficiency of energy transfer [100–102]
Increasing energetic efficiency and decreasing
[51,105]
energy consumption
Localization [73,99,107–124]
Pre-implementation design [125–129]
Implementation in a specific system [130–138]
Control System [139–147]
Efficiency [76,77,148–151]
Unclassified [134–140]

4.1. Safety
The risk in technical systems is most often perceived from the point of view of man-
aging the operational safety of the devices under study. For this reason, one of the first
distinguished categories is “Safety”. This category has been divided into four subcategories,
defining the dominant research directions in this area. The first group of publications refers
to dangerous situations related to collisions that occur between AGVs as they carry out
their tasks. The articles mainly present methods and algorithms aimed at planning the
work of AGVs so that there are no collisions and deadlocks between them [13–25]. It is
worth noting that most of these publications concern path planning or the AGVs’ work
scheduling [14,26,27]. For this reason, they were classified under all three basic categories.
Equally important in safety is the limitation of collisions with other objects in the space
in which the AGV is moving that may occur during the vehicle’s operation. This applies
both to technical facilities and people, as AGV systems also function in anthropotechnical
systems (e.g., [28]). To avoid such collisions, some research focuses on issues related to
improving navigation [29–31] and better path planning [15,32–37], and some on improving
the accuracy of braking systems relative to obstacles [38].
AGV systems are part of the digital solutions created with the introduction of Industry
4.0. For this reason, among the publications on AGVs and risk, there are also studies
analyzing issues related to cybersecurity. These publications highlight the lack of specific
standards for protecting automated systems against cyber-attacks [39] and describe the
proposed programs for handling cyber-attacks for AGV systems [40].
The last subcategory concerns the stability of AGVs on which various types of manip-
ulation devices are mounted. Their displacement during the performance of tasks threatens
the stability of the entire device. For this reason, the articles propose solutions to increase
the safety of these vehicles’ operation [41,42].
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 11 of 23

4.2. Scheduling
Scheduling the work of AGVs is one of the fundamental issues related to the oper-
ation and organization of their work. In many cases, publications in this area combine
the problem of scheduling the work of AGVs with planning their paths in the space
served [15–18,25,34,83,88]. It is worth noting that this is the second-largest category that
has been distinguished based on the literature review. For this reason, it consists of as
many as eight subcategories. When optimizing the work schedule of the AGV system, the
authors focus primarily on the constraints associated with their power supply.
For this reason, the criteria for optimizing the assigned tasks are the capacity of the
vehicle batteries [43–45] and saving the energy consumed by the vehicle in the course of
carrying out the entrusted tasks [36,46–51]. The second optimization criterion is especially
essential currently in connection with the growing need for the sustainable development of
enterprises; therefore, it is often described in terms of the required energy efficiency. This is
another example of a group of articles that, due to their specificity, were classified into two
basic categories.
Another subcategory is articles in which the created work schedule takes into account
the limitations of the company’s resources (e.g., [52]). This situation is most often analyzed
concerning the operation of Flexible Production Systems (EPS), which are characterized
by high dynamics of changes, which strongly affect the functioning of the material supply
systems implemented by AGV (e.g., [53]). The specificity of EPS also forces a dynamic way
of scheduling the AGV system operation, which:
• Uses learning algorithms to optimize the obtained solutions [54–57];
• Uses the Digital Twin to improve the AGV planning process [58];
• Uses decentralized planning [57,59];
• Eliminates any disruptions, including those resulting from changes in the production
system [55,60,61].
The prepared work schedule of the AGV system should consider the cooperation of
many vehicles. For this reason, part of the research aims to create schedules that reduce the
number of collisions between vehicles [14,26,27]. This aspect is also the subject of research
on the safety aspects of AGV operation, as indicated in Section 4.1.
Of course, in addition to the factors named as subcategories of the analyzed publi-
cations, other optimization criteria are also adopted, such as the AGV’s task completion
time and elimination of delays [56,62,63], the production time [64], and the use of the AGV
cargo space [42]. Optimization may also concern the AGV work schedule and the system of
picking stations simultaneously [65]. In selected cases, the optimization of schedules takes
into account the particularities of a specific case of the AGV system’s functioning [57,66].
All of these articles have been assigned to the subcategory “Other”.

4.3. Industry 4.0 (I4.0)

As indicated in Section 1, the development of AGV systems is significantly influenced
by the growing popularity of the Industry 4.0 concept. For this reason, most publications
on this subject are related to cyber-physical systems and their development. Consequently,
this group includes those articles that directly relate to the specificity of systems operating
according to the guidelines of Industry 4.0. This made it possible to distinguish three
subcategories related to specific thematic areas and one collective subcategory for articles
that did not fit the identified research trends.
Industry 4.0 introduces specific requirements for the functioning of AGVs. For this
reason, the first subcategory is articles focused on adapting AGV solutions to the specificity
of cyber-physical systems. The research results refer to the specific requirements for AGV
systems in the Industry 4.0 environment [67,68], as well as their adaptation, e.g., to the
needs of enterprises from the SME sector to implement I4.0 solutions [69,70].
The largest subcategory is the area related to the use of the Digital Twin in improving
the functioning of the AGV system. The Digital Twin is used in this case to improve
AGV navigation [71], to control the movement of vehicles in the production hall [72,73], to
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 12 of 23

improve the AGV work schedule [58], to test the working environment of the vehicles [74],
and in the broadly understood improvement of AGV system management [75].
The third subcategory concerns the use of AGV as an element of automation and
digitalization introduced under Industry 4.0 to improve productivity and increase prof-
itability [76,77]. These articles also appeared under the primary category of “Efficiency”,
while, for both items mentioned above, the research was clearly embedded in the Industry
4.0 environment.
The remaining articles were included in the “Other” subcategory. They are concerned
with using and managing the AGV system in intelligent factories [78,79], introducing
solutions to preventing the occurrence of anomalies, and ensuring safety in the operation
of the entire system [80,81].

4.4. Path Planning

Automated guided vehicles need information about and guideposts for the routes
they can travel as vehicles without an operator. To meet the demands of current market
trends, the path planning process has become an important and interesting subject in
research on AGVs. Researchers use existing algorithms or methods and adapt them to
automated vehicles. They make corrections and improvements in existing algorithms
or methods [15–20,34,35,50,83,84,88,89], introduce novel solutions based on existing al-
gorithms or methods [21–23,32–34,36,37,49,85,86], or even design their own algorithm or
method [18,24,87].
These studies and solutions are aimed at seven goals:
• Utilizing decentralized path planning [23,25,50,82];
• Avoiding collisions or conflicts between AGVs [15–25];
• Avoiding collisions with other elements of the operation environment [15,32–37];
• Increasing efficiency and introducing optimization [17–24,32,33,35,36,49,50,83–87];
• Increasing energetic efficiency and decreasing energy consumption [36,49–51];
• Connecting with task scheduling [15–18,25,34,83,88];
• Implementing dynamic path planning (planning in real-time) [16,17,19,22–24,32,34,35,37,87,89].
The above improvements cause the AGV motion process to become more flexible,
which is a significant trait according to [17,24,25,33,82,87].

4.5. Navigation
Broadly speaking, the types of navigation used in the operation of AGVs can be
divided into two groups, navigation (1) with predefined/marked paths and (2) without
them. The first group needs road signs (e.g., lines, QR codes, reflections), which are
made and attached by humans; the AGV detects these signs and, thanks to them, can
operate in the system. Those solutions are more straightforward but limit the flexibility
of AGV movement. The second group uses sensors and systems that allow them to
‘see’ the operational environment. In both groups, many types of navigation have been
implemented, but there is still a need for improvement. The research articles have been
categorized into four groups:
• New solutions [90–92];
• New integrations [93];
• New conditions of use [94,95];
• Improvements affecting the navigation system [1,13,96–99].
Every described solution was checked by methods listed below:
• Experiments [96,98];
• Platform to test [90,95];
• Real vehicle tests [1,13,92–95,99];
• Simulation or visualization models [91,93,97].
An undefined dynamic and interferences have been observed to characterize the
operational environment, so AGVs have to react automatically [1,13,90,91,94,97]. This
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 13 of 23

connects the “Navigation” group with “Localization” [1,92,94,95,97,99]. Path detection

is also part of the AGV’s navigation system [92,93,95,97,99]. Two articles highlighted the
problem of AGV navigation in long corridors or a structureless environment [1,99]. To
improve the navigation systems, researchers use:
• Deep learning [96,98,99];
• Active learning [90];
• Artificial intelligence [13].

4.6. Energy Storage

Without an energy supply, AGVs could not work. Most AGVs are powered by batter-
ies [100–103], but combined methods with supercapacitors are being investigated [101,104,105].
Articles related to topic of energy storage analyze specific improvements or new solutions
to charging systems [100–106]. To maintain the autonomy of the AGV, charging must be
performed without human intervention. It could involve wireless power transfer [100,106]
or inductive power transfer [102]. There is also an analysis and comparison of different
power distribution systems [101]. The essential components of energy storage management
include monitoring the efficiency of energy transfer [100–102], increasing energy efficiency,
and decreasing energy consumption [51,105]. There is also the possibility of using an
energy storage system for the AGV control strategy [51,104].

4.7. Localization
To operate AGVs, information about their localization is necessary. Due to continuous
development, localization methods have been improved and adjusted to more demanding
working conditions [107–111]. The fundamental requirements are high localization accu-
racy [107,108,112–116] with reduced cost and technical difficulty [107,113,117,118]. To meet
the above requirements, researchers are presenting new or improved localization methods:
• Enhanced depth image fusion positioning (EDIFP) [110];
• The multi-antenna method [108];
• Cameras [109,115];
• LiDAR [73,112,114];
• Ultra Wide Band (UWB) [113,119];
• H∞ controllers [111,120];
• Vision-based odometers [116];
• Wireless distance measurements with uncertainty [117];
• Multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennae [118];
• Combined methods: ultra-wideband (UWB) and vision localization method [107,120];
the fusion of RGB-D and odometry [121];
• RFID-Based localization [122];
• Convolutional neural networks (CNN) [123];
• Double closed-loop control [124].
Each method should be investigated, and the advantages of its use should be scientifi-
cally proven [73,99,107–124].

4.8. Pre-Implementation Design

Although AGVs are one of the most crucial parts of Logistic 4.0, there is still research
to be done about the procedures included in the design, preparation, and implementation
stages. During these stages, it is crucial to consider different perspectives, use every piece of
available information, and cooperate to avoid future changes. This could be accomplished
through a multidisciplinary approach to the design of the AGV fleet [125,126] or a unique
program with integrated modules [127]. During the first stages, the optimal conditions
of the system to carry out the transport should be checked [126–129], and the system’s
efficiency should be determined [126,128,129]. To adapt the AGV solution to the needs of
the transport system, the following methods can be used:
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 14 of 23

• A mathematical model [128],

• A bi-objective optimization model [129],
• Methodology based on swarm robotics concepts [126],
• Computer programs [127].
Safety issues are also an integrated part of the implementation stage [125].

4.9. Implementation in A Specific System

Publications on the implementation of AGV solutions in a specific anthropotechnical
system constitute another interesting category. In these articles, attention was drawn to the
requirements for the design of AGV systems, the difficulties in their implementation, and
the benefits resulting from their use. As a result of our analysis, we distinguished articles
describing:
• AGV systems in intelligent parking systems, which is a response to the difficulties of
parking in large cities [130];
• The use of AGVs to create high-resolution maps of water potential in vineyards [131];
• AGV systems used in the maritime industry (ports, shipyards) [132,133];
• AGV systems designed for large greenhouse installations [134];
• The application of AGVs in the car-loading process of Ro-Ro ships [135];
• AGV implementation as one of the solutions for automated high-mix, low-volume
manufacturing systems [136];
• AGV systems for transporting printed elements in the construction sector [137];
• The use of AGVs for mapping routes in the mountains [138].
Of course, some articles classified into other categories also described selected cases of
the application of the presented solutions in a specific system. However, their focus was
primarily on the method, tool, or algorithm being used. In the case of the articles in this
group, the main emphasis was placed on the industrial implementation of a given solution;
therefore, we decided to separate them into an additional primary category.

4.10. Control System

Publications on the control system mainly refer to two aspects—monitoring the opera-
tion of AGV systems and vehicle control in the event of disturbances. Monitoring the correct
functioning of the AGV system is carried out using various types of sensors [139–141],
simulations [142], and IT systems [143,144]. The control system is also discussed with
regard to solving the problem of the disturbances that arise during the implementation of
the mission (task) by the AGV [145,146]. The research was also identified as presenting the
architecture of AGVs’ autonomy control to increase efficiency and alleviate perturbations
in the production systems [147].

4.11. Efficiency
The idea of improving efficiency through the implementation of AGV solutions ap-
peared in many publications, including those that were classified into the previous primary
categories, such as “Industry 4.0”, “Path planning”, and “Pre-implementation design”.
Most often, research on the use of the AGV system in this category refers to the following:
• Comparative analysis of various scenarios for the implementation of planned tasks in
terms of their effectiveness and efficiency [148–150];
• Reduction of costs related to material flow operations through the use of AGV [76,77,151]
• Application of selected performance measures (e.g., OEE-Overall Equipment Effi-
ciency) to evaluate the functioning of the AGV system [151].

4.12. Unclassified
The “Unclassified” category has been supplemented with articles presenting research
results that are not related to any of the groups distinguished by us. Two articles in this
category regarding the operation of the AGV system deserve particular attention. In their
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 15 of 23

research, Yan et al. [134] focused on issues related to optimizing the layout design, operation,
and maintenance of a multi-AGV system. The results presented indicate that maintenance
strategies and the location of maintenance sites significantly influence the performance of
a multi-AGV system, as corrective maintenance is an effective measure to maintain the
long-term reliability and stability of the system. On the other hand, Stetter, in his research,
drew attention to the requirements of designing and building AGV systems resistant to
failures [135]. Lu et al. [136] proposed a framework for a multi-agent-based production
logistics system with real-time intelligent decision-making capability. Two publications
presented the results of research on the model predictive control (MPC) algorithms, which
are used to plan the movement of many vehicles in a common operating space [137]. Some
publications also included issues related to the risk in communication between the elements
of a cyber-physical system [138,139]. Jain et al. [140] in their research show the benefits of
blockchain technology for autonomous vehicles, including autonomous electric vehicles
(AEV), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV), autonomous guided vehicles (AGV),
autonomous aerial vehicles (AAV), and autonomous driving.

5. Discussion
Our literature review and the review articles on AGVs (including [10]) indicate that
interest in subjects related to the use of AGV systems has been growing immensely in the
last 5 years. It is influenced by the development of the Industry 4.0 concept, in which AGV
systems constitute a crucial element of the created cyber-physical systems. It is worth noting
that, in recent years, the acronym AGV as applied to the systems being researched has been
used to designate not only Automated Guided Vehicles, but also Autonomous Guided
Vehicles. In our review, we considered both of these types vehicles if they were indicated to
us by the search algorithm. The critical aspect of our research was the identification and
assessment of issues related to risk analysis as a subject of research concerning Guided
Vehicles operating in anthropotechnical systems.
It is also worth noting that, due to the required quality of the analyses, we accepted
only publications available in the open access system for the study. This probably had
some impact on our results. The framework of qualifications proposed by us has been
defined solely based on the documents we studied. The analysis of the abstracts of some
of the rejected publications (not available in open access) confirmed the correctness of our
assumptions. However, as we emphasized in Sections 2 and 3, assessing the accuracy of
a classification is only possible after analyzing the full text, and not all documents are
accessible. However, some observations can be made based on the analysis of complete sets
of documents (without taking into account the open-access restriction). The introduction of
the open access restriction resulted in the elimination from analysis of 136 publications from
the Springer publishing house, which are not available in open access. The lack of open
access restrictions also changes the dominant positions among the publishing houses. The
most significant number of publications on this subject without the open access restriction
is in the collections of IEEE (362 documents), Elsevier comes in second (184 documents),
and Springer comes in third with 136 published documents. MDPI moves into fourth place
among the leading publishing houses.
As part of the discussion, it is worth emphasizing that the procedure of classifying
articles according to specific groups of issues turned out to be a big challenge. Articles
describing the various aspects of AGV systems operation analyze, in many cases, such a
wide range of issues that it was impossible to classify the research results into only one
group. For this reason, we have managed to distinguish subcategories, which are binders
between the basic categories here distinguished. We marked these on our category map,
presented in Figure 9 This challenge made us realize how important it is to have a holistic
and coherent approach to designing AGV systems to ensure their safe operation. This
holistic approach was also included in the proposed category structure, which describes the
main research areas related to risk in AGV systems. For this reason, the proposed grouping
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 16 of 23

structure, based on 12 primary categories and an additional 26 subcategories, should be

considered a significant scientific benefit of our research.
Our analysis supports the conclusion that the concept of risk is essential to research
on the functioning of AGV systems. It is significant that, in the first stage of the search
process (see Figure 1), the number of items eliminated from the AGV + Automated Guided
Vehicle search after adding the term “risk” reduced the number of publications by only
about 17% of the whole database. This proves that the concept of risk appears in the
critical elements (title, keywords, abstract) of most articles on AGV. This importance is
also confirmed by our previous industrial research [152]. On the other hand, few of the
analyzed results refer directly to identifying, assessing, and managing risks related to the
operation of AGVs in anthropotechnical systems. Elements of risk are explicitly addressed
primarily in the context of safety analysis (category “Safety”), yet risk assessment may
play a role in all of the basic categories that have been distinguished in our classification
procedure. In addition, the specificity of the functioning of the AGV system, particularly
in the context of Industry 4.0, is characterized by the availability of a large amount of
data. These data should be used to reduce the uncertainty surrounding the occurrence of
adverse events for the benefit of risk management. As noted by Cyplik et al. [153], the tools
used for collecting and analyzing data should make it possible to improve the performed
operations, implement statistical models, and simulate future data that can be used for
risk assessments. The analyzed publications also lacked studies on risk identification and
assessment methods that would consider the specificity of AGV operation, especially in
the cyber-physical systems of Logistics 4.0. Therefore, such research has been recognized
by us as a significant research gap in this area of analysis.
The risk related to the operation of AGV systems, in particular as relate to their use
in cyber-physical systems, should be the subject of a comprehensive analysis regarding
the cybersecurity of their use. This topic appeared in the publications we analyzed, but
only in two. Cybersecurity risks are currently a pivotal threat to the technical systems
and solutions designed in Industry 4.0 [154]. In the case of AGV systems, it is crucial for
two reasons: (1) an external attack on AGV systems may not only damage them but also
cause significant material and financial losses through the introduced disturbances; (2) Due
to the functioning of AGVs in anthropotechnical systems, taking control of vehicles may
endanger the life and health of employees who work with vehicles in a shared space. For
this reason, risk assessments related to a cyber attack should be the subject of much more
comprehensive research than the current studies.
Another area of analysis which, in our opinion, is insufficiently developed is the use
of risk assessment in the operation of AGV systems. Our analysis allowed us to distinguish
only two publications directly addressing issues related to the maintenance of these systems
and their resistance to potential threats. Due to the small number of articles, we did not
create a separate primary category. One of these publications also clearly emphasized
that the reliability issues and maintenance strategies of AGVs have not previously been
studied sufficiently [155]. This is confirmed by our searches as well. This is all the more
surprising as the Industry 4.0 concept promotes a machine maintenance strategy focused
on prevention. An example is the creation of Digital Twins whose task is to reproduce
possible damage during the operation of the machine. For this reason, the concept of Risk
Based Maintenance should be promoted in research focused on improving the operation
of AGV systems. The assumptions of this concept and its wide application have been
described, among other places, in [156]. In this area, risk assessment should concern issues
related to the machine operation strategy and the models used in supplying the service
system [157]. The risk of shortages of spare parts has been the subject of numerous studies
for several years due to the current uncertainty of supply resulting from the COVID-19
pandemic [158].
The largest group in our review is the “Path planning” category. This is understandable
in the case of a transport system such as the AGV system. Routing problems are one of
the most important issues in transport and logistics, from the practical point of view, and
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 17 of 23

in operation research and theory of algorithms, from the theoretical point of view [159].
Therefore, it is understandable that, concerning the AGVs, as well, this research area
has great potential for optimization and research. The second largest category is the
“Scheduling” category, which is closely related to path planning. Both of these groups,
however, focus primarily on algorithms and optimization tools and tend not to consider
guidelines for assessing the risks associated with planned paths and schedules. Only in the
case of the research on battery filling as a criterion for planning and scheduling the work of
AGVs are issues regarding the analysis of the risk of premature battery depletion taken
into account. Considering the energy requirements of AGV systems, it is surprising that
there are no analyses of the risks associated with the entire power supply process. In our
opinion, this should also be considered a significant research gap. However, observing the
current geopolitical situation, it is probable that in the next 2–3 years the number of such
publications will start to increase. The energy crisis triggered by the conflict in Eastern
Europe in 2022 will force the rationalization of the use of energy resources, which will also
affect the availability of energy-supplying AGV systems. Therefore, it can be expected that
the risks associated with powering AGVs and other technical systems will be the subject of
numerous studies.
AGV systems are considered solutions supporting the sustainable development of the
supply chain [160]. Bechtsis et al. [161] in their research prove that the AGVs are developed
to promote the sustainable performance of supply chain systems based on the sustainability
tripod, making them: (1) economical, with productivity gains and reductions of labor
costs; (2) environmental, with a reduction in energy consumption and gas emissions; and
(3) social, with excellent employee safety. Our analysis shows that the risks involved in
this research area have not touched upon at all. This constitutes a significant research gap
that should be filled by published research in the coming years, particularly in regard to
reducing energy consumption and employee safety.

6. Conclusions
Our research aimed to identify the issues described in the analysis and risk manage-
ment of AGV systems. The nature of the risks related to the functioning of automatic
and autonomous systems in the anthropotechnical system has changed over time. This
requires a new framework for analysis to be developed, particularly regarding Industry
4.0. However, there is a lack of current publications devoted to this issue. Although the
concept of risk appears in most publications related to AGV systems, it is not the subject of
significant analysis. For this reason, our further research will seek answers to the following
questions:
• Q1: What are the specific operating conditions of AGVs that govern the emergence of
new hazards and change the characteristics of the existing risk parameters?
• Q2: How should the analytical procedures regarding risk assessment for AGV systems
operating in cyber-physical systems be modified?
The results of the analysis presented in the article made it possible to distinguish
12 primary categories and an additional 26 subcategories. These categories are characterized
by different numbers of publications and cover various areas of AGV systems operation.
As we emphasized in the discussion, the emergence of common subcategories indicates the
need for a holistic look at the risks of AGVs functioning in operating environments with
different levels of automation. However, the most critical outcome of our analyses is the
identification of research gaps, which studies conducted by various research centers should
seek to fill. In particular, European researchers should focus their attention on issues related
to the organization of AGV systems, taking into account the sustainable development of
supply chains and the need for energy-efficient management of these systems.
However, it should be remembered that the identified research gaps concern open-
access publications. This does not preclude the possibility that these topics may be de-
scribed in documents not available in the open system. In particular, this applies to
conference materials from events held in recent years. These publications usually focus on
Energies 2022, 15, 8910 18 of 23

current trends and events; therefore, the research gaps indicated by us in the article may be
filled by them.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, A.A.T. and H.P.; methodology, A.A.T. and H.P.; validation,
A.A.T. and H.P.; formal analysis, A.A.T. and H.P.; investigation, A.A.T. and H.P.; resources, A.A.T. and
H.P; data curation, A.A.T. and H.P.; writing—original draft preparation, A.A.T. and H.P.; writing—
review and editing, A.A.T.; visualization, A.A.T. and H.P. All authors have read and agreed to the
published version of the manuscript.
Funding: This research received no external funding.
Data Availability Statement: Not applicable.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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