Terminology

Agent

Aliases: Truck, AGV, SDV, Employee, Operator, AMR, Vehicle Definition a vehicle, platform, sub system, operator, or other "actor" in the system. Capable of doing one or more types of tasks Examples:

Agent Emulator

Aliases: Definition: A software application on the Fleet Management System that replicates the functionality of an agent in a simulated environment. Used for testing and simulation Examples:

Agent Type

Aliases: Definition: This is a classification of agent or group of agents that share a common set of attributes. Configurations about the agents are configured at the agent type level Examples: BagRunner, SRT, Truck

AGV

Aliases: Definition: Automated Guided Vehicle. Type of Agent. Refers to more conventional pathfollowing systems with limited autonomy. Examples:

Exacta Mobile Agent

Aliases: Definition: A web interface that an operator can access on a mobile device to act as a member of the fleet Examples:

Fleet

Aliases: Vehicles, Agents, Workers Definition: A general term for the entirety of agents in the system for use in completing tasks, as well as the route and location information involved in the relevant space Examples:

Fleet Management System (FMS)

Aliases: Fleet Manager, Fleet Management, FM Definition: The system that is responsible for task assignment, route planning, sytem configuration, and operator input Examples: Exacta Maestro, T-One, ARC

Global Path

Aliases: Definition: The anticipated set of coordinates that is generated according to an agents's assigned task queue. The path is generated by using a shortest distance approach. The agent tries to follow this path exactly Examples:

Host System

Aliases: Host, WES, WMS Definition: The system that gives direction to the Fleet Management System to perform missions. All external interface protocols from the fleet management sytem are handled through the host system Examples: Exacta WES, WMS

Human Machine Interface (HMI)

Aliases: Computer, Worstation, Fleet Management Screen Definition: A workstation or screen that displays information about the fleet including agents, missions, agent status, mission status, and relevant historical data about the Fleet Management System Examples: Exacta Maestro HMI

Interlock System

Aliases: Definition: An OPC UA client methodology for allowing the Fleet Management System to communicate with other devices in the system that can impact the functionality of the fleet. Ie, scanners, doors, push buttons, etc Examples:

Local Path

Aliases: Definition: The real time adjustment to the global path according to the sensor input and dimensionality of the agent. Will try to stay as close as possible to the global path while adjusting for unforeseen circumstances or required agent translations to achieve a task using the agents available navigation strategy Examples:

Macro Resource

Aliases: Definition: A defined entity (locations, intersections, commodities, etc) that would be managed by the Traffic Avoidance Service. Based on real time usage, macro resource would be avoided or used to avoid un-desirable situations Examples: intersection, aisle, row

Mission

Aliases: Order, Directive, Host task Definition: A directive from the host system to perform a function. This is in terms of language that the host system understands. This is an overall objective to be performed by the fleet/fleet manager. The mission may be broken up into multiple tasks according to the mission plan Examples: "Put a pallet", "Stage a container", "Pick an order"

Mission Plan

Aliases: Task Map, Mission Map, Workflow Definition: The methodology or translation from mission to list of tasks. There may be multiple potential plan paths for a single mission. The actual mission plan executed is decided by the Fleet Mangement System based on fleet system criteria Examples:

Navigation Strategy

Aliases: Localization Definition: The methodology(s) implemented by the agent to create movement in the environment. An agent may use multiple in tandem to handle various circumstances. Examples: Natural Features, Wire Guide

Network Map

Aliases: Route Configuration, Route Map, path eligibility Definition: This is the designation of space that defines how a space may be used by the associated agent. Can include position, and direction rules into the space Examples:

Operator

Aliases: Person, User, Employee Definition: A person that is capable of perfoming functions (managerial or functional) in the Fleet Management System, Host System, or as an agent in the system Examples: HMI Monitor, Manager, Exacta Mobile User

Payload

Aliases: Commodity, Package, Item Definition: A package, item, or other entity that is carried by an agent during the processing of a task or set of tasks Examples: Pallet, Bag, Tote, Carton

Queue Lock

Aliases: Definition: A location that, if occupied by an agent, would prevent the traffic management system from release out of the paired Traffic Queue Examples:

Real Time Locating Service (RTLS)

Aliases: GeoLocation Definition: A mechanism outside of direct integration that allows the Fleet Management System to locate the agent or payload in the system in real time Examples: Bastian Bluehound, RFID, Wifi Triangulation

Route Plan

Aliases: Waypoint list, Assigned route Definition: The specific list of waypoints, created by the Route Planning service, for the agent to follow when completing a specific task Examples:

Route Planning

Aliases: Definition: A responsibility of the Fleet Management System. This involves creating a list of waypoints for an agent to follow when completing an assigned task Examples:

SDV

Aliases: Definition: Self-Driving Vehicle. Unlike an AGV, an SDV is able to independently plan, navigate and execute complex goals as issued by the Fleet Management System Examples:

Start Queue

Aliases: Definition: A virtual set of logic used by the traffic management system to release agents from the Traffic Queue Examples:

Stop (n)

Aliases: Definition: A location in control of the Traffic Management System on which an agent comes to a stop and requests permission to enter an intersection Examples:

Stop Lock

Aliases: Definition: A location in the traffic management system that, if occupied by an agent, would prevent any other agents from releasing to the Start Queue from the associated stop. Examples:

Sync Start Group

Aliases: Definition: A set of stops in the traffic management system that can simultaneously release agents when being processed in the start queue Examples:

Task

Aliases: Action Definition: An 'action', understandable by an agent that is communicated as a directive between the fleet management system and the agent Examples: If mission is to "Put a pallet in a location", a set of tasks may include "Pick up pallet", "Move pallet to staging", "move pallet to final destination"

Task Assignment

Aliases: Definition: A responsibility of the Fleet Management System. This involves breaking missions from the host system into tasks based on the mission plan as well as assigning the resulting tasks to agents based on many real time states of the fleet. These criteria include agent positions, mission prioritys, workload and others Examples: Exacta Maestro Task Assignment

Task Queue

Aliases: Task List Definition: The list of tasks assigned to an agent that have been sent to the agent for processing by the Fleet Management System. The agent is actively working on the tasks in the queue Examples:

Task Type

Aliases: Task Class, Task Category Definition: The category of task that can be completed by an agent type Examples: Put Pallet, Move to (x,y), Pick up tote, Drop off

Traffic Avoidance

Aliases: Definition: A responsibility of the Fleet Management System. This involves making pre-emptive decisions to avoid circumstances of traffic based on historical usage, workload, and real time input of the fleet Examples:

Traffic Intersection

Aliases: Junction, Merge Definition: A group of Waypoints that encompass the junction of two or more potential Global Paths in the traffic management system. The logic that governs the usage of this resource is often manually configured for optimal flow by using stops, locks, queues and other tools Examples: High traffic area, End of aisle, merge

Traffic Management System (TMS)

Aliases: Traffic Manager, Traffic Mangement Definition: The system that is responsible for managing real time traffic interaction occurences between agents.
Examples: Exacta Maestro, Liasson, Bluebotoics, Kollmorgen

Traffic Queue

Aliases: Definition: A logical grouping of location stops in the traffic management system that act as a buffer for release of agents into a traffic intersection according to the Stop Lock(s), Queue Lock(s), and Start Queue Examples:

Virtual Task Queue

Aliases: Un-committed tasks, soft allocated tasks Definition: The list of tasks assigned to an agent that have been designated, but not yet sent to the agent by the Fleet Management System. The Fleet Management System may add or remove tasks from the queue based on the changing landscape of the fleet Examples:

Waypoint

Aliases: Node Definition: A coordinate in the system space that is fed to an agent to provide direction to movement according to the assigned task list for that agent. One or more waypoints may be given to an agent at a time based on the capability of the agent Examples: