Development Of A Guidance System For An Automated Warehouse Equipped With Mobile Robots PDF Download

The objective of this research was to develop a guidance system for mobile robots operating within a warehouse. The highly structured warehouse used in model development was represented by a system of modules, alleys, and junctions which were physically identified by landmarks (e.g., patterns or bar codes mounted on the walls), and defined in the model as nodes. Algorithms were developed for path planning, collision avoidance, and controlling the robot's movement. Path planning occurs when a robot receives the command to deliver or retrieve an item and when the robot is traveling to its target module. The collision avoidance and robot movement algorithms control operations by checking the next segment of the pathway for obstacles, adjusting the robot's speed, and ensuring that the robot maintains proper orientation during movement. The model must be extended to develop an operating system that can be easily implemented in the field.