Sunderesh Heragu, Robert Graves, and Byung-In Kim Decision Sciences and Engineering Systems

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

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

3. Existing frameworks • Hierarchical framework • Heterarchical framework • Cooperative systems framework • Distributed systems framework • Opportunistic systems framework

4. Basis for new framework System Cell Individual

5. 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

6. Basis for new framework System Cell Individual M H P

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

8. Hybrid Control Strategy

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

10. 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

11. 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