Open Access

REVIEW

Analysis of Multi-AGVs Management System and Key Issues: A Review

Wenhao Lu¹, Shuai Guo^1,2, Tao Song^1,*, Yuwen Li¹

1 Shanghai Key Laboratory of Intelligent Manufacturing and Robotics, School of Mechatronic Engineering and Automation, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China
2 National Demonstration Center for Experimental Engineering Training Education, Shanghai University, Shanghai, 200444, China

* Corresponding Author: Tao Song. Email:

Computer Modeling in Engineering & Sciences 2022, 131(3), 1197-1227. https://doi.org/10.32604/cmes.2022.019770

Received 14 October 2021; Accepted 22 December 2021; Issue published 19 April 2022

Abstract

Multiple Automatic Guided Vehicle (multi-AGVs) management systems provide an effective solution to ensuring stable operations of multi-AGVs in the same scenario, such as flexible manufacturing systems, warehouses, container terminals, etc. This type of systems need to balance the relationship among the resources of the system and solve the problems existing in the operation to make the system in line with the requirement of the administrator. The multi-AGVs management problem is a multi-objective, multi-constraint combinatorial optimization problem, which depends on the types of application scenarios. This article classifies and compares the research papers on multi-AGVs management in detail. Firstly, according to the different dimensions of the problem, the multi-AGVs management system is analyzed from three perspectives, namely, 1) task dimensiondispatch, 2) spatial dimension-path, and 3) time dimension-scheduling. The detailed comparison between the three dimensions and their respective solutions are discussed in detail as well. Secondly, according to their utility, the multi-AGVs management problems are divided into three categories: 1) cost reduction, resource-oriented, 2) efficiency improvement, problem-oriented, 3) personalized demand, goal-oriented. The algorithm and methods of the different utility-oriented are analyzed and discussed. The related literature is summarized and corresponds to the composition of the multi-AGVs management system and the multi-AGVs management problems. Finally, according to the literature review, suggestions are made for further research.

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Keywords

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