This paper describes the design of a tool for rapid analysis and implementation of flexible material handling systems. The work incorporates a commercial discrete-event and 3-D animation simulation system and extends its functionality with respect to material handling systems. Logical clusters of commerical, modular conveyor components are defined and installed as additions to the simulator's component libraries. These logical groupings, plust the material-flow specified by the user in a given simulation analysis, are used to enable automatic generation of control code for the corresponding physical implementation of the simulated system. Key elements in accomplishing this connection are the definition of component logical groupings and a novel, reactive-agent based software organization of the real-time material-handling control code.

Click here to download a gzipped postscript copy.

CAISR Technical Report TR-96-109, 23 September 1996.
Submitted to the 1997 IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation.