RK3568 AGV Robot Control Board ODM Case Study

As AGV and autonomous mobile robots become increasingly common in smart factories, warehouses, logistics centers, and industrial automation, robot manufacturers are looking for more compact and integrated computing platforms.

In this project, KICKPI developed a custom RK3568-based control board for an AGV robot, replacing a traditional industrial PC architecture with a more integrated ARM-based solution.

The customized board integrates computing, communication, and industrial interfaces into a single platform for navigation, sensor processing, and robot system management.

Project Overview

Product: AGV Intelligent Transport Robot
Processor: Rockchip RK3568
Operating System: Linux
Development Type: Custom ODM Mainboard Development
Application: Industrial Logistics & Smart Manufacturing

The customer originally used a traditional industrial PC combined with multiple expansion modules. This resulted in a relatively large system, higher power consumption, increased BOM cost, and a complicated interface architecture.

The goal was to develop a compact, low-power and highly integrated ARM-based robot control board.

Customer Requirements

The new control platform needed to support:

• Compact system design
• Lower power consumption
• Multiple sensor interfaces
• Industrial communication interfaces
• Stable Linux operation
• Motor controller communication
• Easy system maintenance and software updates
• Better suitability for volume production

The solution needed to connect multiple robot components, including LiDAR, cameras, IMU, encoders, motor controllers and battery management systems (BMS).

RK3568-Based Hardware Architecture

KICKPI selected the Rockchip RK3568 as the main computing platform, combined with DDR and eMMC storage.

The customized board provides interfaces for:

LiDAR → Camera → IMU → Navigation System → Motor Controller

and integrates communication interfaces such as:

• CAN
• RS485
• Ethernet
• USB
• UART
• Wi-Fi

This architecture allows the RK3568 to handle high-level computing tasks while communicating with the robot’s lower-level motion-control system.

Key ODM Development Challenges

1. Multi-Sensor and Interface Integration

An AGV needs to communicate with multiple sensors and control devices simultaneously.

KICKPI optimized the allocation of USB, UART, CAN, Ethernet and RS485 interfaces according to the customer’s hardware architecture, ensuring reliable communication between the computing platform and peripheral devices.

2. Motor Noise and Power Protection

AGVs contain high-power motors and motor drivers that can introduce EMI, power ripple, transient interference and ground noise.

The custom board therefore incorporates appropriate:

• Power filtering
• TVS protection
• ESD protection
• Interface protection
• Power management design

These measures help improve system stability in demanding industrial environments.

3. Linux and Real-Time Motion Control

The RK3568 is primarily responsible for:

Navigation · Communication · Data Processing · System Management

Meanwhile, the lower-level MCU or motor controller handles:

Real-Time Motor Control · Motion Execution

This distributed architecture separates high-level computing from real-time motor control, making the robot control system easier to develop and maintain.

Custom AGV Control Board ODM Solution

Instead of using a traditional industrial PC together with several expansion modules, KICKPI integrated the main computing and communication functions into a dedicated RK3568 robot control board.

The customized solution consolidates functions such as:

Industrial PC + CAN Module + USB Expansion + Communication Interfaces

into one optimized embedded platform.

This helps reduce system complexity while providing a more compact architecture for AGV manufacturers.

Project Results

The RK3568-based ODM solution provides several advantages for the customer’s AGV platform:

• Smaller system size
• Lower power consumption
• Optimized BOM cost
• Higher hardware integration
• Unified industrial interfaces
• Simplified system architecture
• Easier software maintenance and upgrades
• Better suitability for volume production

The solution provides an ARM-based alternative to traditional industrial PC architectures for AGV, AMR, warehouse automation and industrial robotics.

Why Choose KICKPI for Robot Control Board ODM?

KICKPI provides customized embedded hardware and software development for robotics and industrial automation applications.

Our capabilities cover:

Hardware Design → PCB Development → Interface Integration → Linux/BSP Development → Prototype Testing → Mass Production

For AGV and AMR projects, KICKPI can customize the processor platform, memory, storage, industrial interfaces, wireless connectivity, power architecture and mechanical requirements according to the final product.

Looking for a customized RK3568 robot control board or AGV mainboard? Contact KICKPI to discuss your project requirements.