Dispatching and Conflict-Free Routing of Free-Ranging Automated Guided Vehicles

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Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are a highly sophisticated and increasingly popular type of material handling device in flexible manufacturing systems. Previous technology dictated movement of AGVs on a track embedded in the floor or on a painted chemical strip. The increasing popularity of flexible, free- ranging AGVs has brought with it a host of research issues related to effective traffic control schemes and conflict-free routing strategies for different demand assignments. The focus of this project will be on the development of effective methodologies for real-time control of free-ranging AGVs. This research will extend previous work on conflict-free routes for AGVs by testing a variety of column-generation schemes and assignment rules in the free-ranging environment. Alternate objective functions for the static problem and the feasibility of new approaches for real-time routing of AGVs will be tested with the aid of a factorial-designed simulation experiment. The experiment will be conducted in both job-shop and cellular manufacturing environments based on the layout of a very large manufacturing facility in Western New York. //