Automated Guided Vehicle Systems

An automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) is a path network along which computer-controlled, driverless vehicles transport loads. One of the modeling requirements of AGVS is to accurately describe the method for controlling traffic. You can usually accomplish this in one of two ways:

• Zone blocking

• On-board vehicle sensing

Zone Blocking The most common method of traffic control, it involves placing control points along the guide path. Each point usually allows only one vehicle to access it any one time, thus blocking any other vehicle from entering any segment of the path connected to that point. Once the vehicle leaves a control point to travel to the next point on the path, any vehicle waiting for access to the freed control point can resume travel.

On-Board Vehicle Sensing Works by having a sensor on-board the vehicle that detects the presence of a vehicle ahead of it and stops until it detects that the vehicle ahead of it has moved.