Title: Semi-autonomous vehicles with routing flexibility – functionality and application areas

Authors: Sandor Ujvari, Olli-Pekka Hilmola

Addresses: School of Technology and Society, University of Skovde, P.O. Box 408, SE-541 28 Skovde, Sweden. ' Kouvola Research Unit, Lappeenranta University of Technology, Prikaatintie 9, FIN-45100 Kouvola, Finland

Abstract: Automated Guided Vehicle (AGV) systems are standard automated items in production and warehousing today. However, studies have rarely examined a more advanced form of AGVs called Semi-Autonomous Vehicles (SAVs), which have a higher sophistication of task completion and routing flexibility. This research presents SAVs in an industrial development case study. Using simulation, the route-keeping ability of SAVs with two types of guidance techniques is being studied. The results show that dual-navigation SAVs can provide the needed flexibility for routing. Using wire guidance and dead reckoning, both very well-established techniques, the SAVs| performance is, within certain limits, quite comparable to the AGVs with more advanced and expensive navigation techniques.

Keywords: automated guided vehicles; AGVs; semi-autonomous vehicles; dual-navigation SAVs; routing flexibility; technical solutions; simulation; wire guidance; dead reckoning; SAV navigation.

DOI: 10.1504/IJSOM.2009.024579

International Journal of Services and Operations Management, 2009 Vol.5 No.4, pp.444 - 462

Published online: 10 Apr 2009 *

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