Decentralized Routing of Automated Guided Vehicles by Means of Graph-Transformational Swarms

Abstract

The use of decentralized control systems in the field of intralogistics offers high promises, but presents also various technical challenges. One of them is the development of adequate modeling approaches. Based on the problem of routing of automated guided vehicles (AGVs), this paper demonstrates how graph-transformational swarms can be used to model and develop decentralized solutions. Representing the environment as a graph, every AGV is modeled as a swarm member. They act locally and simultaneously like swarms members do in nature. The movement of the AGVs is regulated in such a way that they reach their targets on shortest paths without collisions.