Dynamical Control in Large-Scale Material Handling Systems through Agent Technology

Delayed arrivals, missing tag codes, flight changes, break-downs, etc. are some of the factors, which make the environment of airport baggage handling systems (BHS) extremely dynamic. Pre-scheduling and optimization is not an option, as identity, destination, and the order of items are unknown until they enter the system, which raises the requirement of dynamic control. The DECIDE project focuses on using multi-agent technologies as generic software components to replace traditional system-specific, centralized control software of production systems. This paper presents an application of multi-agent technologies to be used in large-scale material handling systems, such as BHS. To increase understanding and flexibility, standardized interaction patterns from the FIPA organization are used in combination with ontologies, which defines a vocabulary that enables meta-level communication. A mix of coordinating shop floor agents and mediator agents establish an agent platform capable of coping with the challenges. The investigated BHS problem is part of a larger research project, DECIDE, applying multi-agent controls in production systems.

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