As AGVs become more widely used in intralogistics, manufacturing, warehousing and heavy-load material handling, selecting the right drive system is becoming increasingly important. Differential drive, steer drive and Mecanum drive each have different requirements for wheel structure, load distribution, traction, steering and motion control. These differences directly affect AGV positioning accuracy, turning performance, wheel wear and long-term reliability. In this article, we compare the three common AGV drive systems and explain how to select the appropriate AGV hub motor and wheel configuration according to the vehicle structure, operating conditions, load and required mobility.

Hello everyone, I’m Theodore Li, Technical Director at HONPINE. Today, I’d like to discuss how a planetary drive actuator can solve practical challenges in AGV wheel hub motor systems. AGVs and AMRs require sufficient wheel torque for heavy-load starting, acceleration, slope climbing, and frequent reversing, while the drive system must remain compact enough for limited chassis space. A planetary drive actuator combines a motor with a planetary reduction mechanism to convert high-speed motor output into the lower-speed, higher-torque motion required at the wheel. In this article, I will examine the relationship between planetary drive actuators and AGV wheel hub motors, including torque, gear ratio, wheel diameter, climbing ability, turning radius, direct-drive systems, and harmonic drive actuators.

This product is an advanced omnidirectional steering wheel motor designed for intelligent mobile robots. It breaks through the steering angle limitations of conventional steering wheels, enabling continuous 360° rotation and multi-directional movement. Featuring a fixed wiring harness design, it fundamentally eliminates cable wear and entanglement risks, extending the service life of critical components by more than 10 times. It is ideal for AGVs, AMRs, humanoid robot chassis, and other mobile robotic applications, and has been proven to operate reliably in demanding environments such as cold-chain logistics, factories, and warehouses.

A differential steering drive wheel is a two-wheel drive system in which each wheel is equipped with an independent actuator, such as a DC motor. The name originates from the fact that the vehicle's motion vector is the result of the combined movements of the two independently driven wheels. By controlling the two drive motors to rotate in opposite directions or at different speeds, the motor torque is transmitted through a gearbox and polyurethane-coated wheels, causing the two wheels within the differential drive unit to rotate oppositely or at different speeds. This generates the required steering angle and enables vehicle maneuvering.