Centre for Computing and Communication Technologies (TZI)
University of Bremen, Am Fallturm 1, 28359 Bremen, Germany
Supply network management is a challenging task due to the complexity, the dynamics, and the distribution of logistics processes. Automated process control thus requires to reduce the computational complexity and to cope with the dynamics locally. The paradigm of autonomous logistics means that control of logistics processes is delegated to the participating objects. As an example, shipping containers may themselves plan and schedule their way through logistics networks in accordance with objectives imposed by their owners. This book describes the implementation of autonomous control with multiagent technology. The presented solution has been used in a realistic simulation of real-world container logistics processes. The validation shows that autonomous control is actually possible and that it outperforms the previous centralised dispatching approach by significantly increasing the resource utilisation efficiency. Moreover, the multiagent system relieves human dispatchers from dealing with standard cases, giving them more time to solve exceptional cases appropriately.
Schuldt, A. (2011). Multiagent Coordination Enabling Autonomous Logistics. In Schenk, M. (ed.): Logistik als Arbeitsfeld der Zukunft - Potenziale, Umsetzungsstrategien, Visionen. Magdeburg, Germany, May 25, 2011. Fraunhofer Verlag, pp. 163-174.