AgvSimNet: A Petri-net-based AGVS simulation system

This paper presents a Petri-net (PN) based automated guided vehicle system (AGVS) simulation system, AgvSimNet. The system is designed so that it call be used not only for off-line evaluation of a given flow-path layout and/o r management strategy, but also for on-line system monitoring and dynamic d ispatching control. AgvSimNet adopts modular PN modelling techniques for co nstructing complicated AGVS models. End-users of the system are not require d to write any code to conduct their simulation tasks. Some special functio ns of the AGVS, such as zone control, blocking phenomenon and two-step-ahea d forecast, are incorporated into the system. These special functions make the AGVSimNet model more accurate. Several common vehicle management rules are included in the system for users' elaboration and comparative study. Tw o verification and three application examples are presented to show the eff ectiveness of AgvSimNet. The results indicate that AgvSimNet gives satisfac tory results for AGVS off-line evaluation. It also opens a promising new di rection in applying simulators for off-line AGVS monitoring and dynamic veh icle dispatching control.