Reducing Retrieval Time in Automated Storage and Retrieval System with a Gravitational Conveyor Based on Multi-Agent Systems

Abstract

The main objective of this study is to reduce the retrieval time of a list of products by choosing the best combination of storage and retrieval rules at any time. This is why we start by implementing some storage rules in an Automated Storage/Retrieval System (Automated Storage and Retrieval System: AS/RS) fitted with a gravity conveyor while some of these rules are dedicated to storage and others to retrieval. The system is seen as a Multi-Agent System (MAS) where the produced agents are reactive agents that can interact to achieve a behavior (organizing the store). Our MAS is characterized by a decentralized control, which means that there is no preset plan. The produced agents exchange information such as their color, their distance from the output station, etc. Each product merely applies a set of behavioral rules. The aim is to choose the best product to be retrieved in the shortest possible time. The product-type agents have no cognitive ability, but still perform complex tasks.