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

本研究的目的是开发设计概念化工具的单位载荷仓库，使用自动驾驶汽车作为存储和检索（S/R）设备。本研究将开发分析模型，集成不同系统配置的战略和战术级设计决策，并根据自主车辆存储和检索系统（AVS/RS）的独特功能推导出仓库设计原则。研究还将推进AVS/RS建模的分析基础，通过开发一类新的专门的半开放排队网络模型。这些模型将捕捉AVS/RS操作的独特功能，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，调度操作，合并负载缓冲，以及S/R操作与过程中物料流的明确联系。这些模型将被纳入概念化工具，以便于对替代材料处理技术进行比较。如果成功的话，从这项研究中得出的设计原则将加速采用自动化在单位负荷S/R系统，通过关闭AVS/RS硬件和控制系统技术之间的差距，和设计工具需要评估其对单位负荷S/R操作的影响。使用自动驾驶车辆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。这将使它们更能适应供应链中分销系统不断变化的要求。这项研究将弥合学术研究，大学教育，硬件开发和技术采用之间的差距差距在这一领域使用基于Web的存储库。该储存库将有设计工具、原则、教程、案例研究和课程模块供课堂使用。从业者、硬件提供商、系统集成商和最终用户可以分享案例研究，并使用设计工具来概念化系统，以最好地满足他们的应用需求。

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.