Scheduling and routing algorithms for AGVs: a survey.

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Bibliographic Details
Title:	Scheduling and routing algorithms for AGVs: a survey.
Authors:	Ling Qiu¹, Wen-Jing Hsu¹ hsu@ntu.edu.sg, Shell-Ying Huang¹, Han Wang²
Source:	International Journal of Production Research. 2/15/2002, Vol. 40 Issue 3, p745-760. 16p.
Subjects:	Automated guided vehicle systems, Industrial engineering, Production scheduling, Algorithms, Routing-machines, Materials management, Process control systems
Abstract:	Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are now becoming popular in automated materials handling systems, flexible manufacturing systems and even container handling applications. In the past few decades, much research has been devoted to the technology of AGV systems and rapid progress has been witnessed. As one of the enabling technologies, scheduling and routing of AGVs have attracted considerable attention. Many algorithms for the scheduling and routing of AGVs have been proposed. However, most of the existing results are applicable to systems with a small number of AGVs, offering a low degree of concurrency. With a drastically increased number of AGVs in recent applications (e.g. in the order of a hundred in a container handling system), efficient algorithms are needed to resolve the increased contention of resources (e.g. path, loading and unloading buffers) among AGVs. This survey paper first gives an account of the emergence of the problem of AGV scheduling and routing. It then differentiates it from several related problems and classifies major existing algorithms for the problem. Finally, the paper points out fertile areas for future study of AGV scheduling and routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
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Database:	Engineering Source

Description
Abstract:	Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are now becoming popular in automated materials handling systems, flexible manufacturing systems and even container handling applications. In the past few decades, much research has been devoted to the technology of AGV systems and rapid progress has been witnessed. As one of the enabling technologies, scheduling and routing of AGVs have attracted considerable attention. Many algorithms for the scheduling and routing of AGVs have been proposed. However, most of the existing results are applicable to systems with a small number of AGVs, offering a low degree of concurrency. With a drastically increased number of AGVs in recent applications (e.g. in the order of a hundred in a container handling system), efficient algorithms are needed to resolve the increased contention of resources (e.g. path, loading and unloading buffers) among AGVs. This survey paper first gives an account of the emergence of the problem of AGV scheduling and routing. It then differentiates it from several related problems and classifies major existing algorithms for the problem. Finally, the paper points out fertile areas for future study of AGV scheduling and routing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:	00207543
DOI:	10.1080/00207540110091712