Task synchronization via integration of sensing, planning, and control in a manufacturing work-cell

Abstract

This chapter presents a novel approach for task synchronization of a manufacturing work-cell. It provides an analytical method for solving the challenging problem in intelligent control, i.e. the integration of low level sensor data and simple control mechanisms with high level perception and behaviour. The proposed Max-Plus Algebra model combining with event-based planning and control provides a mechanism to efficiently integrate sensing, planning and real time execution. It also enables a planning and control system to deal with the tasks involving both discrete and continuous actions. Therefore, task scheduling, which usually deals with discrete type of events, as well as action planning, which usually deals with continuous events, can be treated systematically in a unified framework. More important, the unique feature of this approach is that interactions between discrete and continuous events can be considered in the same framework. As a result, the efficiency and reliability of the task schedule and action plan can increase significantly. A typical robotic manufacturing work-cell is used to illustrate the proposed approach. The experimental results clearly demonstrate the advantages of the proposed approach.