Application of Automated Guided Vehicles in Smart Automated Warehouse Systems:A Survey

Automated Guided Vehicles(AGVs)have been introduced into various applications,such as automated warehouse systems,flexible manufacturing systems,and container terminal systems.However,few publications have outlined problems in need of attention in AGV applications comprehensively.In this paper,several key issues and essential models are presented.First,the advantages and disadvantages of centralized and decentralized AGVs systems were compared;second,warehouse layout and operation optimization were introduced,including some omitted areas,such as AGVs fleet size and electrical energy management;third,AGVs scheduling algorithms in chessboardlike environments were analyzed;fourth,the classical route-planning algorithms for single AGV and multiple AGVs were presented,and some Artificial Intelligence(AI)-based decision-making algorithms were reviewed.Furthermore,a novel idea for accelerating route planning by combining Reinforcement Learning(RL)andDijkstra’s algorithm was presented,and a novel idea of the multi-AGV route-planning method of combining dynamic programming and Monte-Carlo tree search was proposed to reduce the energy cost of systems.

Video Based Vehicle Detection and its Application in Intelligent Transportation Systems

Video based vehicle detection technology is an integral part of Intelligent Transportation System (ITS), due to its non-intrusiveness and comprehensive vehicle behavior data collection capabilities. This paper proposes an efficient video based vehicle detection system based on Harris-Stephen corner detector algorithm. The algorithm was used to develop a stand alone vehicle detection and tracking system that determines vehicle counts and speeds at arterial roadways and freeways. The proposed video based vehicle detection system was developed to eliminate the need of complex calibration, robustness to contrasts variations, and better performance with low resolutions videos. The algorithm performance for accuracy in vehicle counts and speed was evaluated. The performance of the proposed system is equivalent or better compared to a commercial vehicle detection system. Using the developed vehicle detection and tracking system an advance warning intelligent transportation system was designed and implemented to alert commuters in advance of speed reductions and congestions at work zones and special events. The effectiveness of the advance warning system was evaluated and the impact discussed.

Designing an Effective Method for Automatic Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in a Static Environment

This article outlines an Effective Method for Automatic Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in a Static Environment. It consists of investigated wireless transformer structures with various ferrite forms. WPT technology has rapidly advanced in the last few years. At kilowatt power levels, the transmission distance grows from a few millimeters to several hundred millimeters with a grid to load efficiency greater than 90%. The improvements have made the WPT more appealing for electric vehicle (EV) charging applications in both static and dynamic charging scenarios. Static and dynamic WEVCS, two of the main applications, are described, and current developments with features from research facilities, academic institutions, and businesses are noted. Additionally, forthcoming concepts based WEVCS are analyzed and examined, including “dynamic” wireless charging systems (WCS). A dynamic wireless power transfer (DWPT) system, which can supply electricity to moving EVs, is one of the feasible alternatives. The moving secondary coil is part of the dynamic WPT system, which also comprises of many fixed groundside (primary) coils. An equivalent circuit between the stationary system and the dynamic WPT system that results from the stationary system is demonstrated by theoretical investigations. The dynamic WPT system’s solenoid coils outperform circular coils in terms of flux distribution and misalignment. The WPT-related EV wireless charging technologies were examined in this study. WPT can assist EVs in overcoming their restrictions on cost, range, and charging time.

Reentry Attitude Tracking Control for Hypersonic Vehicle with Reaction Control Systems via Improved Model Predictive Control Approach

This paper studies the reentry attitude tracking control problem for hypersonic vehicles(HSV)equipped with reaction control systems(RCS)and aerodynamic surfaces.The attitude dynamical model of the hypersonic vehicles is established,and the simplified longitudinal and lateral dynamic models are obtained,respectively.Then,the compound control allocation strategy is provided and the model predictive controller is designed for the pitch channel.Furthermore,considering the complicated jet interaction effect of HSV during RCS is working,an improved model predictive control approach is presented by introducing the online parameter estimation of the jet interaction coefficient for dealing with the uncertainty and disturbance.Moreover,considering the strong coupling effect between the yaw channel and roll channel,a coupled model predictive controller is designed by introducing the feedback of sideslip angle into the roll control channel to eliminate the coupling effect.Finally,the comparison simulations using the classical control method,MPC and IMPC approach are given to demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the presented IMPC scheme.

Direct adaptive control for lane keeping in intelligent vehicle systems

In this paper, with parametric uncertainties such as the mass of vehicle, the inertia of vehicle about vertical axis, and the tire cornering stiffness, we deal with the vehicle lateral control problem in intelligent vehicle systems. Based on the dynamical model of vehicle, by applying Lyapunov function method, the control problem for lane keeping in the presence of parametric uncertainty is studied, the direct adaptive algorithm to compensate for parametric variations is proposed and the terminal sliding mode variable structure control laws are designed with look-ahead references systems. The stability of the system is investigated from the zero dynamics analysis. Simulation results show that convergence rates of the lateral displacement error, yaw angle error and slip angle are fast.

Simultaneous scheduling of machines and automated guided vehicles in flexible manufacturing systems using genetic algorithms

The problem of simultaneous scheduling of machines and vehicles in flexible manufacturing system (FMS) was addressed.A spreadsheet based genetic algorithm (GA) approach was presented to solve the problem.A domain independent general purpose GA was used,which was an add-in to the spreadsheet software.An adaptation of the propritary GA software was demonstrated to the problem of minimizing the total completion time or makespan for simultaneous scheduling of machines and vehicles in flexible manufacturing systems.Computational results are presented for a benchmark with 82 test problems,which have been constructed by other researchers.The achieved results are comparable to the previous approaches.The proposed approach can be also applied to other problems or objective functions without changing the GA routine or the spreadsheet model.

ROBUST STABILITY ANALYSIS FOR RAILWAY VEHICLE SYSTEMS

The lateral stability for railway vehicle dynamic system with uncertainparameters and nonlinear uncertain force vector is studied by using the Lyapunov stability theory. Arobust stability condition for the considered system is derived, and the obtained stability boundsare not necessarily symmetric with respect to the origin in the parameter space. The lateralstability analysis for a railway bogie model is analyzed by using the proposed approach. Thesymmetric and asymmetric results are both given and the influence of the adjustable parameter betaon the stability bounds is also discussed. With the help of the proposed method, the robuststability analysis can provide a reference for the design of the railway vehicle systems.

Road User Charging for Urban Freight Vehicles: A Systems Approach

Road user charging (RUC) has a long history as a mechanism to recover infrastructure maintenance and capital costs. The present RUC systems are facing issues such as transparency, cross-subsidization, environmental concerns and reducing revenue due to the likes of lessening fuel tax as vehicles become more efficient. Therefore, this paper reviews the strengths and weaknesses of the present RUC mechanisms implemented in the world with respect to stakeholder problems and demands of the freight industry and to describe the need for a more appropriate, practical and sustainable approach that can be used in the future. Finally, a model is proposed that is transparent and considers usage-based charging addressing most of the weaknesses highlighted in the models reviewed. Further, it considers externalities produced by heavy vehicles into account. The model has the potential to provide answers to key stakeholder issues and will lead to a sustainable freight transport system in the future. Encouraging fuel-efficient modes, optimization of loading, routing and logistics systems, and long term land use planning are a few of them.

μ-Syntheses of Suspension Systems for EMS and EDS Maglev Vehicles

Under model uncertainty and complex disturbance, the robust control strategy should be used in suspension control systems for various Maglev vehicles to obtain ride comfort of passengers. In this paper, the robust controllers are synthesized using μ approach for levitation system of electromagnetic Maglev vehicle and active suspension system of super conducting Maglev vehicle. The numerical simulations for different parameter perturbations and different disturbances are accomplished, and a comparison of μ control and H ∞ control is performed. The simulation results show that, both H ∞ control and μ control for two kinds of Maglev vehicles exhibit good stability robustness to plant model uncertainty, but μ control exhibits better performance robustness than H ∞ control, therefore better ride quality could be obtained by μ control.

Real-time vehicle tracking for traffic monitoring systems

A real-time vehicle tracking method is proposed for traffic monitoring system at road intersections,and the vehicle tracking module consists of an initialization stage and a tracking stage. License plate location based on edge density and color analysis is used to detect the license plate region for tracking initialization. In the tracking stage,covariance matching is employed to track the license plate. Genetic algorithm is used to reduce the computational cost. Real-time image tracking of multi-lane vehicles is achieved. In the experiment,test videos are recorded in advance by recorders of actual E-police systems at several different city intersections. In the tracking module,the average false detection rate and missed plates rate are 1. 19%,and 1. 72%,respectively.

Hydrodynamics Research on Amphibious Vehicle Systems:Modeling Theory

For completing the hydrodynamics software development and the engineering application research on the amphibious vehicle systems, hydrodynamic modeling theory of the amphibious vehicle systems is elaborated, which includes to build up the dynamic system model of amphibious vehicle motion on water, gun tracking-aiming-firing, bullet hit and armored check-target, gunner operating control, and the simulation computed model of time domain for random sea wave.

Fuzzy Logic Control for Suspension Systems of Tracked Vehicles

A scheme of fuzzy logic control for the suspension system of a tracked vehicle is presented. A mechanical model for the whole body of a tracked vehicle, which is totally a fifteen-degree-of-freedom system, is established. The model includes the vertical motion, the pitch motion as well as the roll motion of the tracked vehicle. In contrast to most previous studies, the coupling effect among the vertical, the pitch and the roll motions of the suspension system of a tracked vehicle is considered simultaneously. The simulation of fuzzy logic control under road surface with random excitation shows that the acceleration, pitch angle and roll angle of suspension system can be efficiently controlled.

MULTITASK SCHEDULING IN NETWORKED CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH APPLICATION TO LARGE SCALE VEHICLE CONTROL

Aiming at scheduling problems of networked control system （NCS） used to fulfill motion synthesis and cooperation control of the distributed multi-mechatronic systems, the differences of network scheduling and task scheduling are compared, and the mathematic description of task scheduling is presented. A performance index function of task scheduling of NCS according to task balance and traffic load matching principles is defined. According to this index, a static scheduling method is designed and implemented to controlling task set simulation of the DCY100 transportation vehicle. The simulation results are applied successfully to practical engineering in this case so as to validate the effectiveness of the proposed performance index and scheduling algorithm.

Analysis of Hybrid Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems in Series Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles Based on Simulations

In this paper, an extended analysis of the performance of different hybrid Rechargeable Energy Storage Systems (RESS) for use in Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) with a series drivetrain topology is analyzed, based on simulations with three different driving cycles. The investigated hybrid energy storage topologies are an energy optimized lithium-ion battery (HE) in combination with an Electrical Double-Layer Capacitor (EDLC) system, in combination with a power optimized lithium-ion battery (HP) system or in combination with a Lithium-ion Capacitor (LiCap) system, that act as a Peak Power System. From the simulation results it was observed that hybridization of the HE lithium-ion based energy storage system resulted from the three topologies in an increased overall energy efficiency of the RESS, in an extended all electric range of the PHEV and in a reduced average current through the HE battery. The lowest consumption during the three driving cycles was obtained for the HE-LiCap topology, where fuel savings of respectively 6.0%, 10.3% and 6.8% compared with the battery stand-alone system were achieved. The largest extension of the range was achieved for the HE-HP configuration (17% based on FTP-75 driving cycle). HP batteries however have a large internal resistance in comparison to EDLC and LiCap systems, which resulted in a reduced overall energy efficiency of the hybrid RESS. Additionally, it was observed that the HP and LiCap systems both offer significant benefits for the integration of a peak power system in the drivetrain of a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle due to their low volume and weight in comparison to that of the EDLC system.

MUTS-Based Cooperative Target Stalking for A Multi-USV System

This paper is concerned with the cooperative target stalking for a multi-unmanned surface vehicle(multi-USV)system.Based on the multi-agent deep deterministic policy gradient(MADDPG)algorithm,a multi-USV target stalking(MUTS)algorithm is proposed.Firstly,a V-type probabilistic data extraction method is proposed for the first time to overcome shortcomings of the MADDPG algorithm.The advantages of the proposed method are twofold:1)it can reduce the amount of data and shorten training time;2)it can filter out more important data in the experience buffer for training.Secondly,in order to avoid the collisions of USVs during the stalking process,an action constraint method called Safe DDPG is introduced.Finally,the MUTS algorithm and some existing algorithms are compared in cooperative target stalking scenarios.In order to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed MUTS algorithm in stalking tasks,mission operating scenarios and reward functions are well designed in this paper.The proposed MUTS algorithm can help the multi-USV system avoid internal collisions during the mission execution.Moreover,compared with some existing algorithms,the newly proposed one can provide a higher convergence speed and a narrower convergence domain.

Traffic Sign Detection with Low Complexity for Intelligent Vehicles Based on Hybrid Features

Globally traffic signs are used by all countries for healthier traffic flow and to protect drivers and pedestrians.Consequently,traffic signs have been of great importance for every civilized country,which makes researchers give more focus on the automatic detection of traffic signs.Detecting these traffic signs is challenging due to being in the dark,far away,partially occluded,and affected by the lighting or the presence of similar objects.An innovative traffic sign detection method for red and blue signs in color images is proposed to resolve these issues.This technique aimed to devise an efficient,robust and accurate approach.To attain this,initially,the approach presented a new formula,inspired by existing work,to enhance the image using red and green channels instead of blue,which segmented using a threshold calculated from the correlational property of the image.Next,a new set of features is proposed,motivated by existing features.Texture and color features are fused after getting extracted on the channel of Red,Green,and Blue(RGB),Hue,Saturation,and Value(HSV),and YCbCr color models of images.Later,the set of features is employed on different classification frameworks,from which quadratic support vector machine(SVM)outnumbered the others with an accuracy of 98.5%.The proposed method is tested on German Traffic Sign Detection Benchmark(GTSDB)images.The results are satisfactory when compared to the preceding work.

The VILMA intelligent vehicle:an architectural design for cooperative control between driver and automated system

Intelligent autonomous vehicles have received a great degree of attention in recent years. Although the technology required for these vehicles is relatively advanced, the challenge is firstly to ensure that drivers can understand the capabilities and limitations of such systems and secondly to design a system that can handle the interaction between the driver and the automated intelligent system. In this study, we describe an approach using different strategies for an autonomous system and a driver to drive a vehicle cooperatively. The proposed strategies are referred to as cooperative planning and control and determine when and how the path projected by the autonomous system can be changed safely by the driver to a path that he wishes to follow. The first phase of the project is described, covering the design and implementation of an autonomous test vehicle. Experiments are carried out with a driver to test the cooperative planning and control concepts proposed here.

Shadow Extraction and Elimination of Moving Vehicles for Tracking Vehicles

Shadow extraction and elimination is essential for intelligent transportation systems(ITS)in vehicle tracking application.The shadow is the source of error for vehicle detection,which causes misclassification of vehicles and a high false alarm rate in the research of vehicle counting,vehicle detection,vehicle tracking,and classification.Most of the existing research is on shadow extraction of moving vehicles in high intensity and on standard datasets,but the process of extracting shadows from moving vehicles in low light of real scenes is difficult.The real scenes of vehicles dataset are generated by self on the Vadodara–Mumbai highway during periods of poor illumination for shadow extraction of moving vehicles to address the above problem.This paper offers a robust shadow extraction of moving vehicles and its elimination for vehicle tracking.The method is distributed into two phases:In the first phase,we extract foreground regions using a mixture of Gaussian model,and then in the second phase,with the help of the Gamma correction,intensity ratio,negative transformation,and a combination of Gaussian filters,we locate and remove the shadow region from the foreground areas.Compared to the outcomes proposed method with outcomes of an existing method,the suggested method achieves an average true negative rate of above 90%,a shadow detection rate SDR(η%),and a shadow discrimination rate SDR(ξ%)of 80%.Hence,the suggested method is more appropriate for moving shadow detection in real scenes.