Cellular transport systems in facility logistics

The concept of a Cellular Transport System shows the possibilities to increase the flexibility and changeability of facility logistics systems and enhances the ease of use of complex decentralized control systems. This contribution shows how to enhance these issues compared to conventional facility logistics systems, e.g. static conveyors, by using an autonomous vehicle swarm. Cellular Transport Systems are based on dedicated (cellular) material handling entities. Generally, these cells consist of autonomous transport vehicles (ATVs) or autonomous conveying modules. Various functions such as advanced sensor/actuator interoperation, highly reliable communication, localization and energy management are implemented in each of these cells, facilitating different forms of adaptive, anticipatory and collective behavior. Furthermore, Swarm Intelligence enables the creation of a collective that interacts and cooperates amongst each other in order to solve complex tasks.