Dynamic Spare Point Application Based Coordination Strategy for Multi-AGV Systems in a WIP Warehouse Environment

Rui Xu1; Haojun Feng2; Jia Liu3; Wenjing Hong4

2022

10.1109/ACCESS.2022.3195173

IEEE Access   Impact Factor & Quartile

2169-3536

Multi Automated Guided Vehicle (multi-AGV) systems are widely used in Work-in-Process (WIP) warehouses to improve the efficiency of material transportation. However, collisions and deadlocks between AGVs are inevitable. Many algorithms have been proposed to solve these problems, but their performance is inefficient in the WIP warehouse due to the lack of consideration of its features. In this paper, to fill the gap between current research and real-world application requirement, we construct a collision and deadlock solving model for a multi-AGV system in a WIP warehouse (CDSMWW). Then we propose a coordination strategy based on dynamic spare point application (DSPA), aiming to improve the efficiency of solving AGV collisions and deadlocks in a WIP warehouse. In this method, the AGV records its predecessor, successor, and reserved points in its local controller and can only enter the set of sequential shared points if its application for spare points is successful. Otherwise, it has to stop to avoid causing an unresolvable deadlock. If a deadlock occurs while this AGV is in the sequential shared points, the AGV moves to the spare point to resolve it. Whenever an AGV leaves the set of consecutive shared points, it releases all its spare points. We apply the algorithm to both the central and local controllers to improve the calculation efficiency. Extensive simulation results demonstrate the feasibility of the DSPA scheme under realistic WIP warehouse environment and its higher efficiency compared to previous state-of-the-art methods.

AGVs WIP warehouse collision and deadlock resolution dynamic spare point application

SCI ; EI

English

First

Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory[2020B121201001] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[62106098] ; Stable Support Plan Program of Shenzhen Natural Science Fund[20200925154942002]

Computer Science ; Engineering ; Telecommunications

Computer Science, Information Systems ; Engineering, Electrical & Electronic ; Telecommunications

WOS:000838616800001

IEEE-INST ELECTRICAL ELECTRONICS ENGINEERS INC

20223312569403

Automatic guided vehicles ; Efficiency ; Job analysis ; Materials handling ; Warehouses

Storage:694.4 ; Computer Programming:723.1 ; Robot Applications:731.6 ; Production Engineering:913.1

Web of Science

1.Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Brain-Inspired Intelligent Computation, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
2.School of Business, Hohai University, Nanjing, China
3.China Tobacco Jiangsu Industrial Company Ltd., Nanjing, China
4.Department of Computer Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China

Rui Xu,Haojun Feng,Jia Liu,et al. Dynamic Spare Point Application Based Coordination Strategy for Multi-AGV Systems in a WIP Warehouse Environment[J]. IEEE Access,2022,10:80249-80263.

Rui Xu,Haojun Feng,Jia Liu,&Wenjing Hong.(2022).Dynamic Spare Point Application Based Coordination Strategy for Multi-AGV Systems in a WIP Warehouse Environment.IEEE Access,10,80249-80263.

Rui Xu,et al."Dynamic Spare Point Application Based Coordination Strategy for Multi-AGV Systems in a WIP Warehouse Environment".IEEE Access 10(2022):80249-80263.