Flexible agent-based planning and adaptation of material handling systems

Today´s material handling equipment and industrial automation solutions allow timely adaptation to changing environmental conditions within certain limits. However, in general the planning of material handling systems is a knowledge-driven, non-transparent and time-consuming planning procedure. The aim of the approach presented in this paper is the development of a decentralized methodology for the (rough) design of material handling systems. In this approach the material handling systems are modeled as complex adaptive systems and their planning is modeled as a procedure based on information exchange, formally described and assigned by an agent system. The described planning procedure is based on a bottom-up approach, in which the material handling system is formed by a multiple targeted composition, configuration and adaptation. The planning, based on previously defined rules, leads to an increase in efficiency and transparency.