Frequently asked questions

FAQ

General

  • You install an agent (line of code) on each of your robots by running one line of code. The agent establishes a secure, reliable, bi-directional connection to Meili FMS’s cloud infrastructure. Part of our magic trick is creating an efficient agent that does not interfere with the normal operation of the robot.

  • Once you have logged into your Meili FMS dashboard, you will be able to add robots by executing the Meili Agent installation script on each of your robots. You can then start assigning missions to each robot via the mission page.

  • The Meili Agent establishes communication between the robots and Meili Cloud, allowing the control of the robot (navigation mission) from the Meili Web application.

  • Yes, the Meili Agent runs continuously in order to maintain a link to the Meili Cloud. Through this link, the agent can receive instructions from Meili FMS, allowing it to provide vital information and perform any necessary corrective actions.

    Depending on the usage profile, the agent can use very limited compute/storage/network resources so it does not interfere with the normal operation of your robot.

  • Yes, we can provide standard support by email, and if you are requiring a more tailored support level we can tailor to this.

  • This depends on the type of third-party system. In general, Meili FMS uses API calls, jointly with flows and triggers to allow the third-party system (e.g. WMS or ERP) to trigger actions in Meili Cloud. To update information in the third-party system, webhooks are provided.

  • Yes, to enhance robotics interoperability, Meili FMS is compatible with the VDA 5050 standard. Using MQTT as a communication protocol, VDA 5050 defines the message structure (JSON-based) used to send orders from our fleet management system to the robots and the other way around, allowing Meili FMS to receive the statuses from the robots.

  • We manage a fleet by installing our agent in every robot (or in the central ROS node), which allows us to have bidirectional communication to send missions and to receive feedback from the robots.

    We can communicate with any mobile robot that is based on ROS or ROS2 technology and have successfully performed tests with different ROS-based prototypes and simulations.

  • Generally, we use 3 different communication protocols:

    • HTTP to access, transfer, and deliver data on the World Wide Web. Within this protocol, Meili FMS includes RESTful API and webhooks.

    • WebSockets to keep the connection between the user and server active.

    • MQTT for the automatic measurement and wireless transmission of data from remote sources.

    We also use both ROS1 and ROS2 to provide a unified interface that allows the different components within our software to communicate with each other using the Meili Agent (a ROS or ROS2 package written in Python that establishes communication between your robots and Meili FMS).

    You can find more detailed information about our communication here.

  • Theoretically, we can operate with fleets of this size and up, thanks to our autoscaling infrastructure.

  • No. We do not require you to install any hardware on the robot to use Meili FMS. Meili Robots doesn’t provide hardware at all, and instead would like to utilise the infrastructure available.

  • Yes! We are a cloud-based solution with deployments globally.

Software Integration

  • Absolutely. When you sign up for the full service, we will liaison with you to guide you through the setup and provide the initial training for using the interface.

  • This depends on the size of your fleet. We calculate a setup time of 1-5 minutes for each robot.

    The setup time is used for:

    • The installation of the Meili Agent in the robots (by someone with basic knowledge of Ubuntu)

    • ROS topic configuration

    • Uploading and editing your map

    Our system is highly focused on user-friendliness and ease-of-use. All of the tasks mentioned above are done very easily on a web interface or by simple scripts that we provide to our customers.

  • The Meili FMS comes standard as a cloud version. If there is a strict requirement for on-premise deployments, this is possible and there are specifications we can share for hardware requirements. It will also come with additional costs and extended on-boarding time. Please contact us for more information.

  • The main requirement is to allow external communication (internet) to the Meili Agent. Robots need to be connected internally to the central node (master) and the central node where the agent is running — both of which need to have an internet connection. As we are using MQTT as a communication protocol, it requires low bandwidth.

  • No, our interface is developed to be as simple as the “plug-and-play” ideals. Your team would only need the quick, basic initial training at the start to introduce them to the interface, but nothing more intense than you can find in a user manual.

  • We have had very successful deployments so far, with minimal complications and near-zero disruptions. Our fastest pilot deployment took less than a day as the customer performed it themselves, following the provided instructions. We should be able deploy it faster by being involved firsthand.

  • Currently, the idea is to extend the capabilities to make the system handle more complex missions, and quicker operational speed Working closely with robot OEMS give us a better understanding of the application technology the robots can provide to expand the to real-world applications of robots to the end users.

  • Every WMS is different and uses different protocols. In general, they are not standard. We understand the standard protocols and can communicate with them, and we are also able to send confirmation orders back to the WMS from our FMS once the mission is complete.

    Once the integration program is running, the user can send a robot to perform a pick up-drop off mission just by generating the transfer order from the WMS.

  • It can vary depending on the complexity of the WMS architecture. We provide the API documentation to facilitate your own team of doing the integration, or you can contract us to perform the integration. It can be done in less than a month to more than three months depending on the complexity and time availability.

  • Yes, however, we would need to know which provider you are using in order to make a more concrete answer. If it is an older solution (on-premise) rather than a cloud-based solution, it could take longer to develop and implement.

Features

  • You can create a mission in different ways: through the API, web application, or from ERP systems. You can find detailed instructions in the User Guide.

  • Yes, you are able to schedule missions for both one-time operations and recurring missions. These are scheduled by date, day of the week, and/or the time you would like the mission to be carried out.

    Using our Mission scheduler on the dashboard, you will be given a set of options such as waypoints, robot profile, and date and time. It can be done in as little as 10 seconds.

  • Yes! Using our Mission scheduler on the dashboard, you will be given a set of options such as waypoints, robot profile, and date and time.

  • Meili FMS can accept multiple missions and queue them according to the order they came in. If you would like to have a mission skip to the front of the queue, you can change the order by setting the mission’s priority.

    For any mission that has a set time, Meili FMS will ensure this time-specific mission does not get lost in the queue and that it will run at the selected time. We call these scheduled missions.

  • The statuses of the mission are visible on the mission page.

  • As often as you want, really! You have full control of your fleet — if you’d like to add a robot on the same day you receive it, you can.

    You can add or remove robots as you like. We have designed our fleet management to be very user-friendly. You can add or remove your robot in seconds with just a few clicks.

    Be aware that only certain user accounts have permissions to perform these actions.

  • At the moment there are no limitations, however, when the fleet scales and diversifies, the complexity will grow. We strive not to allow complications and therefore commit to ensuring the fleet can scale heterologously.

  • We have run our system successfully with a fleet of over 10 robots on one map, while simultaneously operating robots at other customers' sites. The value offering is to not have limitations on this, and we are currently expanding on our own scalability.

  • We have traffic control algorithms to prevent obstructions.

  • Yes, you can do this by using our action zones and team configuration features.

  • Yes, you are able to see when an incident happens and which robots were involved.

    We have several methods of alerting you. Not only via the interface directly, but also to external channels such as email, Slack, or other media.

  • We need a map to be displayed on our web-based user interface. We are happy to coordinate this with you at the start of the project. This map will be used as a base for adding the main working areas, obstacles, and safe zones. You can update the map as many times as needed.

    Please note that currently, Meili FMS is limited to one map per team. However, you can have as many teams as you want.

  • Maps are one of the key factors for successful navigation using Meili FMS. Editing the map is easily done in the web interface. To help with transferring maps from and to robots we have created a CLI tool to help you with that. You can upload and download maps by using a one-line command.

User Management

  • You will always have at least one of your employees as owner, controlling who has access and to which level. There is no limit to how many members your team has to use the solution as standard.

  • There are 5 roles:

    • Owner

    • Admin

    • Maintainer

    • Member

    • Observer

  • The specified user role defines the level of access to the different data and configurations.

    For example, a Maintainer can make changes to the robot fleet and maps, but not to the user accounts. A Member can not make changes to the robot fleet or maps but can initiate, schedule, and validate missions and missions.

    Permissions can be set both on the organisation and team level, meaning that an organisation member can have different permissions in different teams.

  • Yes. We do not charge for the number of users as our focus is on the robots.

    The admin account holders can manage the users in your subscription.

Data & Security

  • Our back end infrastructure is hosted by AWS. AWS provides different services that help to protect the data, accounts, and workloads from unauthorised access.

    In addition, automated backups are used and the data is end-to-end encrypted. All HTTP connections are secured with SSL.

    Our SaaS can also be applied on-premise, in which case your data never leaves your physical location.

  • This depends on the necessities of the customer and the type of data. Data from missions are stored indefinitely. Logs data coming from the robot are stored in the system for 3/6/12 hours, depending on the setup.

  • Meili FMS always records the data of your operations and stores it for you to use for analytics. From this data, you will be able to analyse your robots’ efficiency, usage rate, timings, and other stats that can assist you in improving your operations.

  • Yes. Depending on the type of data, we can provide you with several methods to import and export data.

    Note that you can easily export data from our dashboard with the click of a button.

  • We have identified several data as relevant to integrate these systems:

    • Location data (stations, shelves, or similar)

    • Task details (assigned missions coming from the third-party system)

    • Dimensions of the load (size and weight).

Billing & Subscriptions

  • Our monthly subscription charges per vehicle (i.e. AMR, AGV, RTLS vehicle) utilised on Meili FMS and per device (i.e. doors, elevators, etc.) connected to Meili FMS. Additional fees for dedicated environments, on-premise, and premium support can be discussed.

  • Yes. We offer a flexible pricing model based on the number of robots and devices you utilise. If you want to downsize or scale up your fleet, you can do it at any time of the month and we will charge accordingly (Terms and Conditions apply).

  • We require a minimum contract length, depending on the package you select. Please reach out to a sales representative at Meili Robots for more details.

  • We accept card payments and bank transfers.

  • Your trial starts when you sign the contract. In this month we will support you with weekly meetings and ensure your experience is on par with your expectations.

    We will give you an account that you can access via a web browser and this will be your interface. Using the documentation and tools we will provide, you should be up and running with your fleet in no time.

    There is a trial fee, but this is dependent on the scale of your project/deployment. Please contact a Meili Robots sales representative for more details.

  • Yes! We can provide a very generous package to early-stage businesses to assist them in launching their pilot or proof of concept project.

    We are aware of the costs of developing a fleet manager, which is why we want to be able to take this burden off your shoulders and enable you to allocate time and resources to more vital assets in your robot strategy (e.g your robots, if you are a hardware developer).