Conflict-free routing of AGVs on the mesh topology based on a discrete-time model

Automated guided vehicles (or AGVs) have become an important option in material handling. In many applications, such as container terminals, the service area is often arranged into rectangular blocks, which leads to a mesh-like path topology. Therefore, developing efficient algorithms for AGV routing on the mesh topology has become an important research topic. In this paper, we present a discrete time model, based on which a simple routing algorithm on the mesh topology is presented. The algorithm works by carefully choosing suitable parameters such that the vehicles using a same junction will arrive at different points in time, and hence no conflicts will occur during the routing; meanwhile, high routing performance can be achieved. Analyses of the task completion time and the requirements on timing control during the AGV routing are also presented.