Creativity in Engineering Award/Lisa R. DuBois

最近的技术发展给仓储系统的设计和运营带来了一场革命。制造业的趋势，如准时制经营理念，已经产生了对高效存储/检索系统的更多需求。在库存控制、仓储和订单挑选领域，已经在运营理念、分析模型和控制算法的发展方面进行了重要的研究。这些理论研究中的大部分还没有成功地应用于实际情况。确实需要整合现有的材料处理知识，并开发系统，将这一理论和研究应用于制造和仓储。这项研究的目标是开发一个专家系统，该系统将解决仓库系统的动态控制问题，该系统经历了控制变量和约束的变化。该系统将建立在当前测序知识和研究的基础上，并扩大其范围以应用于真实世界的动态系统。

Recent technological developments have brought on a revolution in the design and operation of warehousing systems. Trends in manufacturing such as the just-in-time operating philosophy have produced an increased demand for efficient storage/retrieval systems. Within the fields of inventory control, warehousing, and order picking, significant research has been conducted in the development of operating philosophies, analytical models, and control algorithms. Much of this theoretical research has yet to be applied successfully to actual situations. There is real need for the integration of current material handling knowledge and for the development of systems to apply this theory and research to manufacturing and warehousing. %%% The objective of this research is to develop an expert system that will address the issue of dynamic control of a warehouse system that experiences changing control variables and changing constraints. A system which will build upon the current sequencing knowledge and research and broadens its scope to apply to a real world dynamic system.