Title: Real-time order picking of a robotic put wall: a simulation-based metaheuristic optimisation

Authors: Jianbin Xin; Ziyuan Kang; Andrea D'Ariano; Lina Yao

Addresses: School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China; State Key Laboratory of Intelligent Agricultural Power Equipment, No. 39, Xiyuan Road, Luoyang 471039, China ' School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China ' Department of Civil, Computer Science and Aeronautical Technologies Engineering, Roma Tre University, 00146 Roma, Italy ' School of Electrical and Information Engineering, Zhengzhou University, No. 100 Science Road, Zhengzhou 450001, China

Abstract: A robotic put wall has the potential to significantly enhance picking productivity in the logistics industry. This paper introduces a new computational method for scheduling a robotic put wall system that processes randomly arriving items. The method comprises a simulation-based model and a customised metaheuristic that optimises performance at regular intervals. The simulation model is developed using advanced discrete-event software that can include operational details of the picking process. The genetic algorithm with a new encoding scheme is tailored to solve the combinatorial optimisation problem of determining the appropriate destinations. To evaluate the proposed method, case studies based on real-world applications in a put wall manufacturing company were used. The method outperforms three rule-based real-time scheduling methods, as demonstrated by the results. Moreover, the integrated approach can determine the minimum number of vehicles required.

Keywords: order picking system; robotic put wall; real-time scheduling; simulation-based optimisation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJAAC.2024.140532

International Journal of Automation and Control, 2024 Vol.18 No.5, pp.516 - 536

Received: 03 May 2023
Accepted: 25 Sep 2023
Published online: 22 Aug 2024 *

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