Design of an Intelligent Automated Guided Vehicle System

Abstract

This paper presents the establishment of an automated guided vehicle (AGV) system used for delivering raw materials and finished products between machine tools in a factory. In order to provide intelligence to an AGV, two problems must be solved, which are navigation and collision avoidance. The AGV system proposed in this paper consisted of two parts, which were vehicle body structured by steel pipes and a control system containing all the sensors and drivers. The AGV was controlled through the two differential wheels driven by a brushless DC motor separately. A reflecting tape and tag were laid on the ground used for AGV navigation. And a combination of Global RF communication between AGV and a control center, local RF communication among the AGVs nearby and side-tracks were employed to prevent collision. Finally, a LQI method was adopted to realize the control of AGV.