Integration of Process Planning, Scheduling, and Mobile Robot Navigation Based on TRIZ and Multi- Agent Methodology

This paper presents methodology for development of software application for integration of process planning, scheduling, and the mobile robot navigation in manufacturing environment. Proposed methodology is based on the Russian Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ) and multiagent system (MAS). Contradiction matrix and inventive principles are proved as effective TRIZ tool to solve contradictions during conceptual phase of software development. The proposed MAS architecture consists of six intelligent agents: job agent, machine agent, optimization agent, path planning agent, machine learning agent and mobile robot agent. All agents work together to perform process plans optimization, schedule plans optimization, optimal path that mobile robot follows and classification of objects in a manufacturing environment. Experimental results show that developed software can be used for proposed integration in order to improve performance of intelligent manufacturing systems.