Conceptualization Tools for Unit Load Warehouse Design Based on Autonomous Vehicle Technology

本研究项目旨在缩小相对先进的车辆存储和检索系统（AVS/RS）硬件与控制系统技术之间的差距，和设计概念化工具，需要评估其对单元负荷存储和检索ULS/R操作的影响。拟议的研究将推进AVS/R的分析基础。通过开发一类新的专门排队网络模型进行RS建模，并导致创建和部署分析概念化工具，这些工具可用于基于起重机的自动存储和检索系统（CBAS/RS）。通过本研究开发的模型将捕捉AVS/R操作的几个独特的功能，如车辆和升降机接口，存储和检索干扰效应，selectivetransaction调度，合并的负载缓冲，和明确的链接S/R操作与过程中的物料流。拟议的研究将作为伦斯勒理工学院和路易斯维尔大学之间的共同努力，与工业界的积极参与。在教育活动方面，该项目将在两所参与大学产生多篇博士论文和本科生研究机会。该项目将导致媒体丰富的多媒体为基础的教育模块，可用于大学和行业的发展。在这项研究中开发的概念化工具将能够准确和有效地预测AVS/RS的性能和直接比较CBAS/R和AVS/R技术的成本和性能。这些模型将通过决策支持工具进行部署，这些工具将ULS/RS设计的系统级问题与这些系统的几个操作级决策相结合。该项目还将导致开发基于网络的教学模块，总结该项目的结果。概念化工具的原型版本将在美国材料处理研究所（MHIA）的帮助下分发给大学和工业界。

The research project is aimed at closing the gap between the relatively newautonomous vehicle storage and retrieval system (AVS/RS) hardware andcontrol system technology, and the design conceptualization tools needed toassess their impact on unit load storage and retrieval ULS/R operations.The proposed research will advance the analytical foundations of AVS/RSmodeling through development of a new class of specialized queuing networkmodels and lead to creation and deployment of analytical conceptualizationtools comparable to those available for crane-based automated storage andretrieval system (CBAS/RS's). The models developed through this researchwill capture several unique features of AVS/R operations such as vehicleand lift interfacing, storage and retrieval interference effects, selectivetransaction dispatching, consolidated load buffering, and explicit linkageof S/R operations with in-process material flows. The proposed researchwill be conducted as a joint effort between Rensselaer PolytechnicInstitute and University of Louisville, with active participation ofindustry. In terms of educational activities, this project will lead tomultiple doctoral theses and undergraduate student research opportunitiesat the two participating universities. The project will lead to thedevelopment of media-rich multimedia based educational modules that can beused in universities and industry. The conceptualization tools developed in this research will enable accurateand efficient prediction of AVS/RS performance and direct comparisons ofCBAS/R and AVS/R technologies with respect to cost and performance. Themodels will be deployed through decision support tools that integrate thesystems level problems of ULS/RS design with several operational leveldecisions for these systems. The project will also lead to the developmentof web based instructional modules summarizing the findings of thisproject. Prototype versions of the conceptualizing tools will bedisseminated to universities and industry with the help of the MaterialHandling Institute of America (MHIA).