Automated Guided Vehicle Based Material Handling System: A Survey

The paper is intended to provide a literature survey of AGV based material handling system. Out of different factors related to the design and operation performance of AGV in any manufacturing unit, four major factors, viz., throughput, unit load, flow path design and fleet size have major roles. The study focuses basic methodologies followed by objective function and problem areas of the material handling system. It emphasizes studies done by different workers during the last three decades associated with the topic of present-day interest. AGV systems are gaining increasing acceptance in modern manufacturing facilities mainly owing to the versatility they offer. Our survey reveals that AGV based material handling system is an extraordinary challenging field of open area of research with many lines for further investigation.