IDEC has acquired 80% of ez-Wheel SAS, a French goods transportation manufacturer. It developed a self-propelled wheel in 2010 and an autonomous wheel in 2021. Self-propelled wheels incorporate driveline—motor, drive, gearbox—and control/safety elements within a single device. These products are a fit for automated guided vehicles (AGVs), autonomous mobile robots (AMRs), mobile conveyors, material handling and electrification of any type of motion or power assist device. All these categories are experiencing growth throughout various industries to support progress in global automation, address labor shortages and improve the safety and well-being of workers.
IDEC plans to strengthen the research and development of the ez-Wheel team and plans to expand global sales of these mobility solutions in conjunction with complementary IDEC products, such as human-machine interfaces (HMIs) and safety-related equipment. These efforts will support IDEC’s HMI transformation (HMI-X) initiative to provide optimal, intuitive, and safe human-machine interactions, with a focus on human well-being.
Key ez-Wheel products include the Electric Power Assist Wheel (EPAW) used for reducing the burden of transporting heavy loads on existing carts and trolleys, and the Safety Wheel Drive (SWD) which facilitates the development and certification of AGVs, AMRs and other automated logistics applications. The SWD is equipped with safety operation monitoring functions as required by international safety standard ISO 3691-4, so it can be used in environments where people and robots coexist.
