Abstract
Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems continue to be a viable and flexible handling alternative for many low to medium flow, discrete parts handling requirements. Today, in addition to the towing vehicle, AGVs can be configured as unit load carriers, automatic guided pallet trucks, automatic guided fork trucks, or light load carriers. The automatically positioned stock selector (used for in-the-aisle picking) is also generally accepted as an AGV.
In this paper, assuming a pick & drop system based on unit load carriers, we describe current control methods for vehicle dispatching, and we examine their relationship to various empty vehicle dispatching policies developed in the AGV literature. Subsequently, we discuss further work needed in the area along the following directions: developing standard problems for evaluation purposes; analyzing the interaction between the system layout and the dispatching rules; analyzing the impact of machine processing times and the routing matrix; integrating or interfacing the AGV control system with higher level information systems; and evaluating the impact of self-guided vehicles.
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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
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Bozer, Y.A. (1989). Guided Vehicle Systems: Information/Control System Implications of Alternative Design and Operation Strategies. In: Nof, S.Y., Moodie, C.L. (eds) Advanced Information Technologies for Industrial Material Flow Systems. NATO ASI Series, vol 53. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74575-1_19
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-74575-1_19
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
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