Online Planning to Control a Packaging Infeed System

After successfully developing a model-based online planner for the multi-engine hyper-modular prototype printer at PARC, we began investigating other applications with similar characteristics. One such application is an automated packaging line for food and consumer packaged goods, specifically the infeed system, where products arrive continuously from the end of the production line and need to be arranged into a specific configuration for downstream primary and secondary packaging machines. In collaboration with a domain expert from the packaging industry, we developed an innovative design for a reconfigurable parallel infeed system using a matrix of interchangeable smart belts. We also developed an online model-based planner that can control this type of infeed system through simulation in both nominal planning and when runtime failures occur.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2011
• Where: IAAI
• Authors: Minh Binh Do, Lawrence Lee, Rong Zhou, Lara S. Crawford, Serdar Uckun
• Keywords: Artificial Intelligence, Domain Expert, IAAI 2011, Packaging Line, Packaging Machines