IN Brief:
- Evri is trialling two AGV power pallets with Translift Group at its Rugby hub.
- The vehicles use LiDAR and ceiling-mounted sensors to follow mapped routes.
- The trial supports Evri’s move into under-the-roof robotics for hub and depot operations.
Evri is trialling two autonomous guided vehicle power pallets at its Rugby hub as it increases the use of robotics inside parcel hub and depot operations.
The parcel delivery company is working with Translift Group on the trial. The AGV power pallets are being tested inside the Rugby operation, where cages and pallets are currently moved across the facility using human-operated vehicles.
The vehicles are designed to take over repetitive point-to-point transport tasks. They use LiDAR and ceiling-mounted sensors to detect and follow mapped routes through the hub, with the ability to move between programmed locations on a continuous loop. Scheduled stops can be added where manual loading or unloading is required.
Each unit can carry loads of up to 1.5 tonnes and can be switched from automated to manual operation when needed. The trial is intended to reduce repetitive internal transport work and allow staff to move into higher-value roles, including support and oversight of robotic systems.
The Rugby hub provides a demanding operating environment for the trial. Parcel operations are shaped by high peaks, irregular flows, dense vehicle movements, and tight processing windows. Internal movements that appear simple at task level can absorb substantial labour when repeated across shifts and scaled across e-commerce volumes.
Evri’s focus on under-the-roof robotics sits within a broader automation shift across logistics. Earlier investment was often directed at sortation, scanning, and fulfilment systems. The next layer is increasingly focused on movement between work zones, including roll cages, pallets, totes, and mobile equipment.
Mobile automation offers a route into operational improvement without requiring a full building redesign around fixed conveyors, shuttle systems, or large-scale automated storage. AGVs can be deployed on defined routes and repetitive movements, making them suitable for brownfield sites where major infrastructure change would be disruptive or expensive.
Labour availability adds pressure to that calculation. Parcel hubs rely on fast, physically demanding work, and internal transport tasks can be repetitive, low-margin, and difficult to staff consistently. Automating those movements changes the labour profile of the building, shifting more activity toward exception handling, equipment control, loading support, and process supervision.
The use of LiDAR and mapped routes also brings mobile robotics closer to warehouse execution. As autonomous fleets grow, operators need tighter scheduling, route management, safety protocols, and data visibility. A two-unit trial can test how the equipment performs mechanically, but it also tests how automation interacts with live workflows, existing staff movement, and equipment already operating on site.
Safety performance will be central to any wider deployment. Parcel facilities include pedestrians, powered equipment, cages, pallets, trailers, dock activity, and rapidly changing work areas. Mobile automation must operate predictably in that environment while maintaining throughput and avoiding route conflicts.
The trial gives Evri a live operational base for assessing reliability during peak conditions, interaction with staff and vehicles, and integration with existing hub processes. Targeted automation of predictable, repetitive movement can remove friction from parcel operations without requiring wholesale redesign of the network.
