Within the Logistics 4.0 paradigm, Autonomous Intelligent Vehicles ‒ often known in the literature with different acronyms, such as AVS/RS or SBS/R ‒ represent an important technology, that can be adopted for both pallet/tote storage and retrieval, as well as to feed picking stations and production lines. The aim of this research is to develop quantitative models to assess the performance of these solutions, and conceptual frameworks to guide their design and support the choice of the most cost-effective configuration.
Development of Logistics 4.0 solutions
About the project
Principal Investigators: Claudia Colicchia, Marco Melacini, Elena Tappia, Sara Perotti
Researcher team: Emilio Moretti, Lorenzo Prataviera
Funders: Dematic (research contract), Incas (research contract)
Duration: 2012-onwards
Partners: Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (Netherland), Indian Institute of Management, Vastrapur (India)
KEY RESEARCH QUESTIONS
Autonomous Intelligent Vehicles ‒ often known in the literature with different acronyms, such as AVS/RS or SBS/R ‒ represent an important technology, that can be adopted for both pallet/tote storage and retrieval, as well as to feed picking stations and production lines. The aim of this research is to develop quantitative models to assess the performance of these solutions, and conceptual frameworks to guide their design and support the choice of the most cost-effective configuration. Specifically, models have been developed to investigate whether and how the suitability of automated solutions changes depending on the perspective of the analysis (i.e. only economic, only environmental or both). In addition, the main design trade-offs and the key design parameters related to this new solution have been investigated by means of simulation. The research is conducted in collaboration with important material handling providers and aims to close the gap between research and practice, using the results in implementation of these solutions in complex cases. The research also involves other important universities, with a PhD student exchange ongoing.
OUTPUTS & IMPACTS
PUBLICATIONS
- Tappia E., Roy D., De Koster R., Melacini M. (2017) “Modeling, Analysis, and Design Insights for Shuttle-Based Compact Storage Systems, Transportation Science, Vol. 51, No. 1, pp. 269-295
- Tappia E., Marchet G., Melacini M., Perotti S. (2015) “Incorporating the environmental dimension in the assessment of automated warehouses”, Production Planning & Control, Vol 26, No. 10 pp.824-838
- Marchet G., Melacini M., Perotti S., Tappia E. (2013) “Development of a framework for the design of autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems”, International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 51, No. 14, pp. 4365-4387
- Marchet G., Melacini M., Perotti S., Tappia E. (2012) “Analytical model to estimate performances of autonomous vehicle storage and retrieval systems for product totes”, International Journal of Production Research, Vol. 50, No. 24, pp. 7134-7148
- Tappia E., Roy D., De Koster R., Melacini M., Integrated Storage-order Picking Systems: Technology, Performance Models, and Design Insights, European Journal of Operational Research, in press
PROJECTS:
- Design of automated solution: Ferragamo case
- Design of automation solution: Leroy Merlin case
- Design of automation solution: Unieuro case
- Design of automation solution: Burberry case
