A user interface system for automated guided vehicles

Abstract

A considerable cost is incurred in today’s manufacturing industry in the process of manually moving components between work stations. One possible means of reducing this cost may be found through the u se of computer-controllable Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs). However, development of suitable computer software for the specific require­ ments of a plant, in a cumbersome, machine-oriented AGV Operational Language, has hindered the wide­ spread use of AGVs. Development of such software is virtually impossible for the typical AGV-user, a non-programmer. This paper presents a tool that enables a non-programmer to specify an AGVs functions for a dynamic manufacturing plant and automatically gene­ rates the required control software. Various approa­ ches considered for developing such a tool are analyzed. Finally an implementation of one approach at the Clemson Apparel Research plant is discussed.