Case-handling Robots (ACR), Latent AGVs, or Shuttles: How to choose?

Don’t look at the robots first; look at your goods.

The first step in choosing an automation solution isn’t picking a robot—it’s understanding your goods: units, SKUs, site, and pace. One table + three steps to turn a “three-way choice” into a “guided decision.”

“What kind of robots do you use?”

In my years in smart warehousing, this is one of the most frequent questions from clients.

But the question you should really answer first is: What are your goods like, and how do they flow?

Robots are just the means; the goods are the demand. If you choose the wrong solution, even the best robot is useless.

Three solutions, remember them in one sentence.

Case-handling Robot (Goods-to-Person · Bin-level)

Robots enter the racking, retrieve bins/cartons, and bring them to a picking station for workers to pick.

→ Suitable for: Many SKUs, small items, piece picking, high returns (E-commerce, Electronics).

Latent AGV / AMR (Goods-to-Person · Shelf-level)

Robots go under the rack and transport the entire shelf to the picking area.

→ Suitable for: Medium items, full case/pallet turnover, moderate variety of categories.

Shuttle (Dense Storage)

Shuttles travel back and forth on rack rails to move pallets in or out of dense storage, working with lifters to change levels.

→ Suitable for: Pallet-level, high-density storage, low SKU variety but high volume (Raw materials, Finished goods).

Understand it with one table.

Note: The above are general empirical scales; specific details depend on actual goods and site measurements.

Three-step judgment, follow the guide.

Step 1: Look at the unit of goods.

Bins / Cartons → ACR; Pallets → Shuttle; Entire shelves → Latent AGV.

Step 2: Look at SKUs and Orders.

Fragmented orders, many SKUs, high returns → ACR (picking efficiency is key); Mainly full case/pallet outbound → Shuttle or Latent (focus is on transport, not picking).

Step 3: Look at the site and pace.

Sufficient height (usually >10m) → Shuttle saves more space and labor; High pace, mixed SKUs → ACR with multiple stations is more stable.

Don’t rush to decide.

Selection isn’t a single-choice question; many projects use a hybrid approach: Shuttles for pallets + Case-handling robots for piece picking + Latent AGVs for transport, each managing a segment.

STORIN provides system integration and offers all three. We don’t push one specific type; we first help you clarify your goods, volume, site, and pace before proposing a solution.

💡Preparing for warehouse automation?

If you are also struggling with “which robot to use,” feel free to DM us.

Free assessment of warehouse automation solutions.

Help you clarify goods, volume, site, and pace all at once.