Design Of An AGV System Combining Multiple Navigation Technologies

With the increase in labor costs and technical level, the degree of automation of logistics and warehousing industry is rising. As the core equipment of warehouse logistics, there has been a rapid development in automated guided vehicle’s(AGV for short) applications and technology. Nowadays, AGV systems play a significant role in improving transport efficiency, shortening the production cycle, cost saving and other aspects.In this paper, we describe the research status of AGV warehouse logistics systems, and discuss the design principle of the system. Aimed at building the whole hybrid navigated AGV system, we design the AGV’s hardware using embedded control system, develop the navigation algorithm and establish the multi-AGV communication system. The main content consists of four parts:1. Design of an AGV system framework with switchable navigation technologies; 2. hardware design and navigation realization of magnetic navigation AGV; 3. Vision localization based on QR code(quick response code) map; 4. Set up of multi-AGV communication system.First we put forward an AGV system framework with switchable navigation technologies, in which we use visual information for site recognition and magnet tape for main highway navigation. Besides, we determine the main technologies in the system.Then we design the embedded control board of AGV and integrate multi-sensor to form a complete AGV hardware system. We use incremental PID algorithm for motion control, realize the function of magnetic stripe tracking, autonomous obstacle avoidance, wireless remote control and etc. We formulate the magnetic path rules and use routing algorithm for path planning, which helps achieving the autonomous navigation of AGV.Next, we build a raster map based on two-dimensional code, which can be applied to visual navigation in the E-commerce warehouse. In the framework of the visual navigation system, we developed a high-speed QR code scanner to implement discrete localization of AGV. Then we combine inertial navigation information and the discrete coordinate information for continuous tracking of AGV. Finally, we use the visual information to achieve exact docking and exact rotation of AGV.In addition, we determine the content and format of communication between AGV and server based on the requirement of path planning and AGV’s status monitoring. We use web framework to achieve server-building and implement the function of registration and information storage. Then we write a client program to achieve with the server communications.Finally, we summarize the achievements and innovations of current research, and put forward the shortcomings as future research.