Track technology

Depending on the supplier, track technology has been variously termed an intelligent track system, industrial transport system, independent cart technology, smart carriage technology, linear or extended or flexible transport system, or simply a conveyor or conveyance platform. They are also referred to as linear motors or long stator linear motors, reflecting the underlying technology of the track (stator) and shuttles (platen, equivalent to the rotor in a conventional rotary electric motor).  Shuttles have also been called carriers, movers, platforms and pallets.
List of commercially available track systems.
In the following commercially available track systems are listed in alphabetic order of the product name:
Areas of application.
Track technology is – among other technologies like machine vision and robotics – one of the key enablers for the adaptive machine.
The concept of the adaptive machine also goes beyond track technology to achieve their high levels of flexibility.  One complementary technology is the industrial robot, which by definition possesses the same programmable flexibility.  Of particular interest is the ability of both robots and track systems to operate safely along with humans in a collaborative environment. This recent development allows for a combination of manual and automated assembly tasks, maintenance and materials replenishment without stopping production.
Machine vision can play a pivotal role when integrated into an adaptive machine. Vision can identify individual shuttles and their contents in order to guide them to the appropriate workstations. Vision has long been used to automate robot guidance, inspection, orientation and related tasks.
Given the adaptive machine's flexibility to respond to consumer demand generation, Internet of Things and e-commerce technologies are complementary, providing the connection between internal production resources and commercial systems in a manufacturer's digital business model.