Sunderesh Heragu, Robert Graves, and Byung-In Kim Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Art St. Onge St. Onge Company Intelligent Agent Based Framework for Integrating Planning and Design in Material Handling Systems

Deliverables and impact Holonic modeling framework development Prototype simulation model development Benefits to the material handling industry- designers, manufacturers and users

Existing frameworks Hierarchical framework Heterarchical framework Cooperative systems framework Distributed systems framework Opportunistic systems framework

Basis for new framework Individual System Cell

Various levels of interactions Between individual agents Between agent and cell controller Between agent and system controller Between cell controllers Between cell and system controller

Basis for new framework System Cell Individual M H P

Modeling framework ‘Holonic’ modeling framework –Holons make autonomous decisions –Higher level controllers –Guidelines and system wide constraints Material handling systems control

Hybrid Control Strategy

Intelligent Agents Intelligent agents representing –Entities and resources –Functioning cooperatively –Accomplishing individual, cell-wide and system-wide goals

Highlights of new framework Considers interactions among entities operating at various levels Explicitly captures interactions of MHS with manufacturing system Uses optimization, learning & knowledge based approaches in problem solving Has built-in features for optimal system performance, stability and convergence

Industry Collaboration Efforts underway to: –apply modeling framework to industrial problem –compare performance of the new methodology to existing ones –develop novel control system for MHSs