Efficient scheduling for multiple automated non-holonomic vehicles using a Coordinated Path Planner

Automated vehicles operating in warehouse environments are in need of an efficient scheduling and planning solution. This is motived by requirements to have high utilisation of resources and through-put of product. Current approaches used to solve the planning and scheduling problem, particularly with multiple vehicles have often been too limited in scope to address and attempt to optimise solutions. The approach presented here outlines a solution developed by INRO Technologies Limited using a shared Coordinated Path Planner and Scheduler module for all automated vehicles, observing non-holonomic constraints. This is combined with a heuristic to consider travel time and fuel use to select an optimum result for movements.