Collaborative Proposal: EArly-concept Grants for Exploratory Research (EAGER): Design Principles for Warehouses with Autonomous Vehicles (WAVE)

本研究的目的是为使用自动驾驶汽车作为存储和检索（S/R）设备的单位负载仓库开发设计概念化工具。本研究将开发分析模型，整合不同系统配置的战略和战术层面设计决策，并根据基于自动驾驶车辆的存储和检索系统（AVS/RSs）的独特功能推导出仓库设计原则。该研究还将通过开发一类新的专用半开放排队网络模型来推进AVS/RS建模的分析基础。这些模型将捕捉AVS/RS操作的独特特征，如车辆和升降机接口、存储和检索干扰效应、选择性事务调度、批处理操作、综合负载缓冲，以及S/R操作与过程中物料流的明确联系。这些模型将纳入概念化工具，以便比较各种材料处理技术。如果成功，从这项研究中得出的设计原则将通过缩小AVS/RS硬件和控制系统技术之间的差距，以及评估其对机组负载S/R操作影响所需的设计工具，加速自动化在机组负载S/R系统中的采用。使用自动驾驶汽车的仓库预计将是模块化和灵活的，可以重新配置以满足不断变化的吞吐量、容量或周期时间要求。这将使它们对供应链中不断变化的分销系统需求更加稳健。这项研究将通过使用基于web的存储库弥合学术研究、大学教育、硬件开发和技术采用之间的差距。该资源库将包含设计工具、原则、教程、案例研究和课程模块，供课堂使用。从业者、硬件供应商、系统集成商和最终用户可以共享案例研究，也可以使用设计工具来概念化系统，以最好地满足他们的应用程序需求。

The objective of this research is to develop design conceptualization tools for unit-load warehouses that use autonomous vehicles as storage and retrieval (S/R) devices. This research will develop analytical models that integrate the strategic and tactical level design decisions for different system configurations and derive warehouse design principles based on the unique features of autonomous vehicle based storage and retrieval systems (AVS/RSs). The research will also advance the analytical foundations of AVS/RS modeling through the development of a new class of specialized semi-open queuing network models. The models will capture the unique features of AVS/RS operations such as vehicle and lift interfacing, storage and retrieval interference effects, selective transaction dispatching, batching operations, consolidated load buffering, and explicit linkage of S/R operations with in-process material flows. These models will be integrated into conceptualization tools that would facilitate comparison of alternative material handling technologies. If successful, the design principles derived from this research will accelerate the adoption of automation in unit load S/R systems by closing the gap between AVS/RS hardware and control system technology, and the design tools needed to assess their impact on unit-load S/R operations. Warehouses using autonomous vehicles are expected to be modular and flexible and could be reconfigured to meet changing throughput, capacity or cycle time requirements. This would make them more robust to the changing requirements of the distribution systems in a supply chain. This research would bridge the gap between academic research, university education, hardware development, and technology adoption in this area using a web based repository. The repository will have design tools, principles, tutorials, case studies and course modules for use in the classroom. Practitioners, hardware providers, system integrators, and end users could share case studies and also use design tools to conceptualize systems to best suit their application needs.