PFN Demonstrates 100-Kilogram-Capacity Kachaka Evo AMR at CEATEC 2026

PFN demonstrated its subsidiary Preferred Robotics’ compact AMR, Kachaka Evo, at CEATEC 2026, which will be held at Makuhari Messe from Oct. 13 to 16, 2026. Kachaka Evo can carry 100 kilograms and is designed to transport existing carts and shelves as they are. Preferred Robotics announced the official launch on Oct. 1, 2026, and said shipments would begin sequentially in October 2026.

Preferred Robotics has officially launched Kachaka Evo, which can carry 100 kilograms and features a lifting-lift system and SLAM that does not require magnetic tape. PFN’s demonstration of the robot at CEATEC 2026 shows that competition in transport automation is shifting toward products that emphasize ease of adoption. The design, which can transport existing carts and shelves as they are, is relevant to businesses seeking deployment without changing their workplace layouts.

The key point in the Kachaka Evo news is that the device PFN demonstrated at CEATEC 2026 was not a research-stage concept, but a product whose official launch Preferred Robotics announced on Oct. 1. Its specifications — a 100-kilogram payload, a lifting-lift system, SLAM without magnetic tape, a width of 380 mm and height of 191 mm, and operation in passageways as narrow as 500 mm — are both highlights of the demonstration and concrete indicators of the conditions for deployment. In other words, the focus appears to have shifted from whether it can move to which transport tasks it can replace while leaving existing equipment in place. A related article from this newspaper, METI and NEDO’s GENIAC reports selection of 13 companies and groups to support development of robot foundation models, identified the preparation of on-site data and the collection of work data, including tactile data, as key to robot foundation models. Kachaka Evo, by contrast, is a product for transport automation farther downstream from the foundation-model discussion, focused on implementation — how to move existing carts and shelves — rather than data collection. The PFN group thus has both foundation-model research and a physical product, but the extent to which the two are connected through the same technological lineage is not yet clear from the outside. The industry implication is that differentiation among transport robots is shifting beyond adding advanced functions toward whether they can be used from day one and adapt to layout changes. SLAM that does not require magnetic tape or markers, and setup using a PC or smartphone, are intended to reduce installation and maintenance costs for operators. However, it remains to be seen how much uptime the 100-kilogram payload and narrow-passage capability can deliver in actual operations, and how broadly operating experience from multiple sites can be applied. The next points to watch are shipment volume after the official launch, operating conditions at actual customer sites, compatibility with different types of shelves and carts, and operational constraints of the SLAM system. The demonstration and product launch have been confirmed, but specifications alone are not enough to assess the product’s mass-production capabilities.

According to a Preferred Robotics press release, Kachaka Evo uses a lifting-lift system. It moves underneath carts and shelves used at a site, lifts them and transports them. It does not require magnetic tape or markers and uses SLAM to adapt to layout changes. The robot is 191 mm high and 380 mm wide, and can travel through passageways as narrow as 500 mm. It can be configured using a PC or smartphone and does not require a specialist contractor, the company said.

Japanese factories and warehouses have demand for automating transport while continuing to use existing carts and shelves, so a 100-kilogram payload and operation without magnetic tape could meet deployment requirements. At the same time, in Japan’s AMR market, operational know-how at individual sites and maintenance support are expected to be differentiators alongside the ability to navigate narrow passageways and ease of setup.