Safe and Intelligent Logistics

The need for more flexibility and universal applicability of automation solutions in intralogistics is met by an increasing use of autonomous transport vehicles. The capability of autonomous navigation results in new applications, but also new challenges. In order to ensure an efficient operation of these systems, new concepts are necessary for coordination and decentralized control, and in addition, for assuring functional safety.

Flexibility, efficiency and robustness are considered as crucial properties of automated transportation solutions in logistics. Therefore, in the automation domain a trend from conventional automated guided transport vehicles to autonomous systems can be observed. Future autonomous vehicles will no longer be centrally controlled, but act independently and situation-dependent. Various transport modules will act in a common environment, navigate autonomously and operate in environments that span the whole factory premises instead of restricted areas.
 

Safety of autonomous systems
A crucial criterion for the applicability of autonomous systems is their functional safety, especially if they operate beyond secluded environments. Safety and protection of workers is nowadays realized by low speed and tactile sensors that trigger a brake or an emergency stop. In order to reach higher speeds and increase the efficiency, new concepts are necessary to ensure overall system safety.
 

Intelligent decentralized control
With rising complexity of intralogistics systems, centralized control will reach its limitations. In order to achieve flexibility and robustness of the overall system it is essential to shift control intelligence into the transport and conveyor modules. Autonomous navigation, a decentralized dispatching, and local coordination mechanisms are the building-blocks to create decision-making transport and conveyor modules that organize themselves within the overall system.