Selection of Automated Guided Vehicles for Industrial Application Using Weighted Sum Method

For material handling and transportation in various industrial settings automated guided vehicles (AGVs) have emerged as a cutting-edge solution. The diverse requirements of different industries the selection of the most suitable AGV for a specific application is a crucial task. To assist decision makers this study is helpful in their decision-making process. The proposed approach utilizes a multi-criteria decision-making technique, Weighted Sum Method (WSM) that enables the evaluation and comparison of AGVs using multiple criteria. The proposed methodology involves defining relevant criteria such as controllability, accuracy, range, reliability, flexibility, and cost. Accuracy of model predicted by exploring data on the performance and characteristics of various AGVs are collected from reliable sources. The gathered data are then normalized and assigned appropriate weights by domain experts to reflect the relative importance of each criterion. The weighted scores for each criterion are combined using the WSM to obtain an overall score for each AGV model under consideration. For specific material handling applications, the AGV model with the highest overall score predicted as the most suitable model. The proposed model revels that the WSM offers a systematic and efficient approach to AGV selection, empowering decision-makers to make choices grounded in quantifiable criteria rather than intuition or incomplete information. The proposed AGV selection methodology utilizing the Weighted Sum Method presents a structured decision-making process, which is suitable for industrial applications.