Application of a real time expert system platform for flexible autonomous transport in industrial production

Mellado, Martin; Vendrell, Eduardo; Crespo, Alfons; López, Pedro Guevara; Garbajosa, Juan; Lomba, Carmen; Schilling, Klaus; Stützle, Hubert; Mayerhofer, Rudolf

doi:10.1016/s0166-3615(98)00118-3

Cited by 11 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 7 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Induction wire-guided vehicles performed typical material transport in a textile manufacturing without having the flexibility to adapt transport routes to changes in the production process. Mellado et al [34] developed concepts to overcome these deficits in the RETRARO project. The project included a consortium that developed an on-board, AGV operating-system as a general purpose, real-time, knowledge-based control system.…”

Section: Sensors and Intelligent Vehicle Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Research for Docking Automatic Guided Vehicles and Mobile Robots

Bostelman¹,

Hong²

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

This paper provides a literature review of docking research, an area that has relatively few research articles as compared to generic automatic guided vehicle (AGV) or mobile robot research. Docking refers to the arrival and stopping at a position relative to another object. Docking can include positioning the vehicle or the equipment onboard the vehicle relative to another object, for example a tray station, trailer, or pallet. The paper is expected to be useful to ASTM Committee F45 for development of docking and navigation standards and to industrial vehicle research communities as basis to further docking research. The paper covers research on vehicle control for docking and on the use of sensors combined with intelligent vehicle control. Docking research on AGV or mobile robots with onboard robot arms is also included. Other related research described includes flexible cells and docking of other than ground vehicles, e.g., unmanned surface vehicles. Closing the survey is a discussion of patents related to docking and an extensive list of references.

show abstract

Section: Sensors and Intelligent Vehicle Controlmentioning

confidence: 99%

Review of Research for Docking Automatic Guided Vehicles and Mobile Robots

Bostelman¹,

Hong²

2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…AGVs (Automated Guided Vehicles) that are frequently used in indoor autonomous transportation provide important advantages in performing tasks that are time-consuming, costly and risky for human health. In addition to features such as environmental perception, path planning, and behavior modelling, their adaptation to production environments compared to rail or wire guide tools is highly flexible and cost-effective [4].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Cloudware Architecture for Collaboration of Multiple AGVs in Indoor Logistics: Case Study in Fabric Manufacturing Enterprises

2020

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

In Industry 4.0 compatible workshops, the demand for Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) used in indoor logistics systems has increased remarkably. In these indoor logistics systems, it may be necessary to execute multiple transport tasks simultaneously using multiple AGVs. However, some challenges require special solutions for AGVs to be used in industrial autonomous transportation. These challenges can be addressed under four main headings: positioning, optimum path planning, collision avoidance and optimum task allocation. The solutions produced for these challenges may require special studies that vary depending on the type of tasks and the working environment in which AGVs are used. This study focuses on the problem of automated indoor logistics carried out in the simultaneous production of textile finishing enterprises. In the study, a centralized cloud system that enables multiple AGVs to work in collaboration has been developed. The finishing enterprise of a denim manufacturing factory was handled as a case study and modelling of mapping-planning processes was carried out using the developed cloud system. In the cloud system, RestFul APIs, for mapping the environment, and WebSocket methods, to track the locations of AGVs, have been developed. A collaboration module in harmony with the working model has been developed for AGVs to be used for fabric transportation. The collaboration module consists of task definition, battery management-optimization, selection of the most suitable batch trolleys (provides mobility of fabrics for the finishing mills), optimum task distribution and collision avoidance stages. In the collaboration module, all the finishing processes until the product arrives the delivery point are defined as tasks. A task allocation algorithm has been developed for the optimum performance of these tasks. The multi-fitness function that optimizes the total path of the AGVs, the elapsed time and the energy spent while performing the tasks have been determined. An assignment matrix based on K nearest neighbor (k-NN) and permutation possibilities was created for the optimal task allocation, and the most appropriate row was selected according to the optimal path totals of each row in the matrix. The D* Lite algorithm has been used to calculate the optimum path between AGVs and goals by avoiding static obstacles. By developing simulation software, the problem model was adapted and the operation of the cloud system was tested. Simulation results showed that the developed cloud system was successfully implemented. Although the developed cloud system has been applied as a case study in fabric finishing workshops with a complex structure, it can be used in different sectors as its logistic processes are similar.

show abstract

“…A system can vary in size from a few vehicles in a limited space to over a hundred AGVs operating in layouts of several kilometres of guidepath. The use of these systems is under continuous increase, and they are reported to be used on different continents, within developed, developing and emerging economies (Ward, 2001;Rooks, 2001;Mellado et al, 1999;Lee et al, 2003;Collier, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Advanced manufacturing simulation

Ujvari

Hilmola

2006

Industrial Management &Amp; Data Systems

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Purpose -This paper aims to highlight the complex nature of automated guided vehicle (AGV) simulation model building, and especially how system modelling details affect the end results. This is an important issue in all of the transportation simulation systems, since they are service-based by their nature, and additional inefficiencies create unanticipated performance downgrading. Design/methodology/approach -This paper uses a simulation approach, and simulated systems are based on a real-life case study and on well accepted hypothetical simulation example. Findings -Simulation system boundaries are often neglected in the model building, and especially interface to inbound (and possibly outbound) material flow should be considered carefully; based on these research results, AGV investments are seen in an entirely different light, as system boundary is enlarged to contain more realistically interacting elements. Similar system boundary issues were found from the case study: interface with overhead gantry did not provide near optimal performance. The case study also revealed that high speed of AGVs is not necessarily worth additional investment; constraints exist in safety, acceleration and ability to turn in corners.Research limitations/implications -The findings are based on the simulation work and, to see the real implications, real-life implementations on policy level are needed. Practical implications -Results of this research provide more insights for manufacturing unit investments, and especially in the scope of automated transportation system use. Also changes in manufacturing flow management issues, after investing in, for example, AGV systems, are different from in less-automated manufacturing units. Originality/value -This research work provides more insights to simulation research work, especially from the perspective of transportation systems. Also implications arising from case study are unique as being compared to previous research in the field.

show abstract

Application of a real time expert system platform for flexible autonomous transport in industrial production

Cited by 11 publications

References 7 publications

Review of Research for Docking Automatic Guided Vehicles and Mobile Robots

Review of Research for Docking Automatic Guided Vehicles and Mobile Robots

A Cloudware Architecture for Collaboration of Multiple AGVs in Indoor Logistics: Case Study in Fabric Manufacturing Enterprises

Advanced manufacturing simulation

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About