Implementation of a remote computer controlled automatic guided vehicle

Abstract

The effectiveness of a material handling system is essential to a competitive manufacturing environment. Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) are an important technology within today's modern manufacturing facility. Academic programs in manufacturing and industrial engineering must find ways to include this technology in their instructional and research programs to provide the students with sufficient knowledge to address material handling systems design. This project was a first step in the development of such a facility at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. This project accomplished two main objectives. The first one was to create a functional AGV system with the "Orbitor" Automatic Guided Vehicle that incorporates advanced hardware features. This system included a taped guide path with bar codes on the floor, and the communication linkage via wire and radio frequency between the Orbitor on-board computer and a remote computer. The second objective was to establish a software system for the overall control of the Orbitor AGV system. This objective involved creating software for the on-board computer and the remote computer. Software communication protocols were implemented and tested between the remote computer and the Automatic Dispatching Unit, and between the Intersection and Communications Unit and the on-board computer. The user of this system was able to interactively define tasks for the AGV from the remote computer. The AGV provided feedback to the remote computer on the status of the vehicle and it sent appropriate messages when the tasks were complete.