Nissan Launches Six-Phase Autonomous Mobile Robot Deployment at U.S. Plant

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Nissan is deploying autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) supplied by OTTO, a division of Rockwell Automation, at its vehicle assembly plant in Smyrna, Tennessee, and is currently completing the first of six deployment phases. The equipment has initially entered the body shop to handle parts transport tasks, making this one of the largest cost-reduction projects at the Smyrna plant in 2026.

The autonomous mobile robots are used to connect temporary material staging areas with robotic production cells. Forklifts remain responsible for transporting parts racks from the truck unloading area to designated handoff zones, after which the AMR moves beneath the rack, raises the platform approximately 2.5 inches, and delivers the parts to the production cell. The equipment navigates using lidar, cameras, and other sensors, without relying on traditional magnetic tape routes. The relevant equipment has a maximum payload of approximately 4,190 pounds and a top operating speed of approximately 4.5 miles per hour.

The robots also communicate with Nissan's production equipment and in-plant material flow systems. If a robotic production cell stops consuming parts, the AMR can halt the corresponding delivery task; when a unit fails to complete a transport task on time, the system can dispatch another robot to take over. In the early stages of the project, a software conflict arose in which two robots were dispatched to the same location; Nissan subsequently worked with the software supplier to modify the program, and the equipment has now entered a continuous deployment phase.

The project will replace part of the material transport operations currently performed by 64 forklift and tugger operators. Nissan stated that these employees will not be laid off as a result, but will instead be transferred to other positions within the plant or receive retraining. The Smyrna plant currently produces the Rogue, Pathfinder, Murano, and Infiniti QX60 models.

Nissan is also evaluating the use of similar autonomous transport systems in the stamping shop at the Smyrna plant and is studying the feasibility of further expansion into the final assembly area. Additional projects related to this initiative could launch as early as 2027. The specific number of AMRs in this deployment, the project investment amount, and the full implementation timeline for the six phases have not yet been disclosed.