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Background/Objectives : To evaluate an end-to-end pipeline for normo-fractionated prostate-only and whole-pelvic cancer treatments that requires minimal human input and generates a machine-deliverable plan as an output. Methods : In collaboration with TheraPanacea, a treatment planning pipeline was developed that takes as its input a planning CT with organs-at-risk (OARs) and planning target volume (PTV) contours, the targeted linac machine, and the prescription dose. The primary components are (i) dose prediction by a single deep learning model for both localizations and (ii) a direct aperture VMAT plan optimization that seeks to mimic the predicted dose. The deep learning model was trained on 238 cases, and a held-out set of 86 cases was used for model validation. An end-to-end clinical evaluation study was performed on another 40 cases (20 prostate-only, 20 whole-pelvic). First, a quantitative evaluation was performed based on dose-volume histogram (DVH) points and plan parameter metrics. Then, the plan deliverability was assessed via portal dosimetry using the global gamma index. Additionally, the reference clinical manual plans were compared with the automated plans in terms of monitor unit (MU) numbers and modulation complexity scores (MCSv). Results : The automated plans provided adequate treatment plans (or minor deviations) with respect to the dose constraints, and the quality of the plans was similar to the manual plans for both localizations. Moreover, the automated plans showed successful deliverability and passed the portal dose verification. Despite higher median total MUs, no statistically significant correlation was observed between any of the gamma criteria tested and the number of MUs or MCSv. Conclusions : This study shows the feasibility of a deep learning-based fully automated treatment planning pipeline that generates high-quality plans that are competitive with manually made plans and are clinically approved in terms of dosimetry and machine deliverability.

Reinforcement Learning (RL) comes with the promise of automating network management. However, due to its trial-and-error learning approach, model-based RL (MBRL) is not applicable in some network management scenarios. This paper explores the potential of using Automated Planning (AP) to achieve this MBRL in the functional areas of network management. In addition, a comparison of several integration strategies of AP and RL is depicted. We also describe an architecture that realizes a cognitive management control loop by combining AP and RL. Our experiments evaluate on a simulated environment evidence that the combination proposed improves model-free RL but demonstrates lower performance than Deep RL regarding the reward and convergence time metrics. Nonetheless, AP-based MBRL is useful when the prediction model needs to be understood and when the high computational complexity of Deep RL can not be used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of autonomous driving systems, the need for effective emergency avoidance path planning has become increasingly important. To enhance safety, the predicted paths of surrounding vehicles anticipate risks and incorporate them into avoidance strategies, enabling more efficient and stable driving. Although the artificial potential field (APF) method is commonly employed for path planning due to its simplicity and effectiveness, it can suffer from the local minimum problem when using gradient descent, causing the vehicle to become stuck before reaching the target. To address this issue and improve the efficiency and stability of path planning, this study proposes integrating prediction data into the APF and optimizing the control points of the quintic Bézier curve using sequential quadratic planning. The validity of the proposed method was confirmed through simulation using IPG CarMaker 12.0.1 and MATLAB/Simulink 2022b. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents an innovative automatic scheduling method for the relocation of customs inspection vehicles, leveraging Vehicle Electronic Identification (EVI) and biometric recognition technologies. With the expansion of global trade, customs authorities face increasing pressure to enhance logistics efficiency. Traditional vehicle scheduling often relies on manual processes and simplistic algorithms, resulting in prolonged waiting times and inefficient resource allocation. This research addresses these challenges by integrating EVI and biometric systems into a comprehensive framework aimed at improving vehicle scheduling. The proposed method utilizes genetic algorithms and intelligent optimization techniques to dynamically allocate resources and prioritize vehicle movements based on real-time data. EVI technology facilitates rapid identification of vehicles entering customs facilities, while biometric recognition ensures that only authorized personnel can operate specific vehicles. This dual-layered approach enhances security and streamlines the inspection process, significantly reducing delays. A thorough analysis of the existing literature on customs vehicle scheduling identifies key limitations in current methodologies. The automatic scheduling algorithm is detailed, encompassing vehicle prioritization criteria, dynamic path planning, and real-time driver assignment. The genetic algorithm framework allows for adaptive responses to varying operational conditions. Extensive simulations using real-world data from customs operations validate the effectiveness of the proposed method. Results indicate a significant reduction in vehicle waiting times—up to 30%—and an increase in resource utilization rates by approximately 25%. These findings demonstrate the potential of integrating EVI and biometric technologies to transform customs logistics management. Additionally, a comparison against state-of-the-art scheduling algorithms, such as NSGA-II and MOEA/D, reveals superior efficiency and adaptability. This research not only addresses pressing challenges faced by customs authorities but also contributes to optimizing logistics operations more broadly. In conclusion, the automatic scheduling method presented represents a significant advancement in customs logistics, providing a robust solution for managing complex vehicle scheduling scenarios. Future research directions will focus on refining the algorithm to handle peak traffic periods and exploring predictive analytics for enhanced scheduling optimization. Advancements in the intersection of technology and logistics aim to support more efficient and secure customs operations globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To enhance the application of building information modeling (BIM) in schedule management for engineering projects, improve spatial planning capabilities, and minimize subjective factors in schedule preparation, this paper presents a framework and method for automatic construction schedule planning based on BIM and data-driven approaches under multi-dimensional spatial resource constraints. The method includes data acquisition, construction process reasoning, time parameter calculation, and schedule generation and scheduling. Initially, the construction data from the BIM model and manual input are imported into the reasoning system to establish the logical relationships of the construction process. Construction time parameters and spatial resource requirements are then automatically calculated using MySQL. Subsequently, the spatial layout and resource allocation data exported from the BIM model are compared to assess whether the space meets the project requirements. Finally, a construction schedule that satisfies the space constraints is generated. The method was validated through a case study, demonstrating its effectiveness in automatic schedule planning under human-computer interaction. This study introduces an innovative approach that considers spatial conflicts in the automatic scheduling process, improving planning efficiency and reducing the risk of spatial conflicts on construction sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Penetration Testing (PT) is an effective proactive security technique that simulates hacker attacks to identify vulnerabilities in networks or systems. However, traditional PT relies on specialized experience and costs extraordinary time and effort. With the advancement of artificial intelligence technologies, automated PT has emerged as a promising solution, attracting attention from researchers increasingly. In automated PT, penetration path planning is a core task that involves selecting the optimal attack paths to maximize the overall efficiency and success rate of the testing process. Recent years have seen significant progress in the field of penetration path planning, with diverse methods being proposed. This survey aims to comprehensively examine and summarize the research findings in this domain. Our work first outlines the background and challenges of penetration path planning and establishes the framework for research methods. It then provides a detailed analysis of existing studies from three key aspects: penetration path planning models, penetration path planning methods, and simulation environments. Finally, this survey offers insights into the future development trends of penetration path planning in PT. This paper aims to provide comprehensive references for academia and industry, promoting further research and application of automated PT path planning methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The last decades have seen a revolution in autonomous robotics. Deep learning approaches and their hardware implementations have made it possible to endow robots with extraordinary perceptual capabilities. In addition, they can benefit from advances in Automated Planning, allowing them to autonomously solve complex tasks. However, on many occasions, the robot still acts without internalising and understanding the reasons behind a perception or an action, beyond an immediate response to a current state of the context. This gap results in limitations that affect its performance, reliability, and trustworthiness. Deep learning alone cannot bridge this gap because the reasons behind behaviour, when it emanates from a model in which the world is a black-box, are not accessible. What is really needed is an underlying architecture based on deeper reasoning. Among other issues, this architecture should enable the robot to generate explanations, allowing people to know why the robot is performing, or has performed, a certain action, or the reasons that may have caused a certain plan failure or perceptual anomaly. Furthermore, when these explanations arise from a cognitive process and are shared, and thus validated, with people, the robot should be able to incorporate these explanations into its knowledge base, and thus use this understanding to improve future behaviour. Our article looks at recent advances in the development of self-aware, self-evolving robots. These robots are designed to provide the necessary explanations to their human counterparts, thereby enhancing their functional capabilities in the quest to gain their trust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To maximize resource usage, minimize disputes, and improve academic experience, professors must schedule teaching activities efficiently. This study provides an optimized automated schedule creation technique. The system generates schedules that aim to be conflict-free and efficient, utilizing evolutionary algorithms along with multi-objective optimization. Resource usage, scheduling problems, and faculty/student satisfaction are the goals of the research. The system optimizes scheduling based on room limitations, instructor availability, and student preferences. The project uses system design, model creation, algorithm implementation, and performance analysis to solve the difficult timetable-generating problem. This research should save administrators time, improve academic operations, and improve staff and student academic experiences. Scalability and flexibility allow the system to be used in multiple faculties and incorporate new limits and requirements. This paper presents a complete approach to faculty scheduling, including insights and recommendations for future study and application in educational institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the path planning problem for automated guided vehicles (AGVs) in challenging and complex industrial environments, a hybrid optimization approach is proposed, integrating a Kalman filter with grey wolf optimization (GWO), as well as incorporating partially matched crossover (PMX) mutation operations and roulette wheel selection. Paths are first optimized using GWO, then refined with Kalman filter corrections every ten iterations. Moreover, roulette wheel selection guides robust parent path selection, while an elite strategy and partially matched crossover (PMX) with mutation generate diverse offspring. Extensive simulations and experiments were carried out under a densely packed goods scenario and complex indoor layout scenario, within a fully automated warehouse environment. The results showed that this hybrid method not only enhanced the various optimization metrics but also ensured more predictable and collision-free navigation paths, particularly in environments with complex obstacles. These improvements lead to increased operational efficiency and safety, highlighting the method's potential in real-world applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using Automated Planning for the high level control of robotic architectures is becoming very popular thanks mainly to its capability to define the tasks to perform in a declarative way. However, classical planning tasks, even in its basic standard Planning Domain Definition Language (PDDL) format, are still very hard to formalize for non expert engineers when the use case to model is complex. Human Robot Interaction (HRI) is one of those complex environments. This manuscript describes the rationale followed to design a planning model able to control social autonomous robots interacting with humans. It is the result of the authors' experience in modeling use cases for Social Assistive Robotics (SAR) in two areas related to healthcare: Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment (CGA) and non-contact rehabilitation therapies for patients with physical impairments. In this work a general definition of these two use cases in a unique planning domain is proposed, which favors the management and integration with the software robotic architecture, as well as the addition of new use cases. Results show that the model is able to capture all the relevant aspects of the Human-Robot interaction in those scenarios, allowing the robot to autonomously perform the tasks by using a standard planning-execution architecture.

Realizing autonomic management control loops is pivotal for achieving self-driving networks. Some studies have recently evidence the feasibility of using Automated Planning (AP) to carry out these loops. However, in practice, the use of AP is complicated since network administrators, who are non-experts in Artificial Intelligence, need to define network management policies as AP-goals and combine them with the network status and network management tasks to obtain AP-problems. AP planners use these problems to build up autonomic solutions formed by primitive tasks that modify the initial network state to achieve management goals. Although recent approaches have investigated transforming network management policies expressed in specific languages into low-level configuration rules, transforming these policies expressed in natural language into AP-goals and, subsequently, build up AP-based autonomic management loops remains unexplored. This paper introduces a novel approach, called NORA, to automatically generate AP-problems by translating Goal Policies expressed in natural language into AP-goals and combining them with both the network status and the network management tasks. NORA uses Natural Language Processing as the translation technique and templates as the combination technique to avoid network administrators to learn policy languages or AP-notations. We used a dataset containing Goal Policies to evaluate the NORA's prototype. The results show that NORA achieves high precision and spends a short-time on generating AP-problems, which evinces NORA aids to overcome barriers to using AP in autonomic network management scenarios.

Computed tomography (CT)-guided thermal ablation is an emerging treatment method for lung tumors. Ablation needle path planning in preoperative diagnosis is of critical importance. In this work, we proposed an automatic needle path-planning method for thermal lung tumor ablation. First, based on the improved cube mapping algorithm, binary classification was performed on the surface of the bounding box of the patient's CT image to obtain a feasible puncture area that satisfied all hard constraints. Then, for different clinical soft constraint conditions, corresponding grayscale constraint maps were generated, respectively, and the multi-objective optimization problem was solved by combining Pareto optimization and weighted product algorithms. Finally, several optimal puncture paths were planned within the feasible puncture area obtained for the clinicians to choose. The proposed method was evaluated with 18 tumors of varying sizes (482.79 mm3 to 9313.81 mm3) and the automatically planned paths were compared and evaluated with manually planned puncture paths by two clinicians. The results showed that over 82% of the paths (74 of 90) were considered reasonable, with clinician A finding the automated planning path superior in 7 of 18 cases, and clinician B in 9 cases. Additionally, the time efficiency of the algorithm (35 s) was much higher than that of manual planning. The proposed method is expected to aid clinicians in preoperative path planning for thermal ablation of lung tumors. By providing a valuable reference for the puncture path during preoperative diagnosis, it may reduce the clinicians' workload and enhance the objectivity and rationality of the planning process, which in turn improves the effectiveness of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated guided vehicle (AGV) scheduling and routing are critical factors affecting the operation efficiency and transportation cost of the automated container terminal (ACT). Searching for the optimal AGV scheduling and routing plan are effective and efficient ways to improve its efficiency and reduce its cost. However, uncertainties in the physical environment of ACT can make it challenging to determine the optimal scheduling and routing plan. This paper presents the digital-twin-driven AGV scheduling and routing framework, aiming to deal with uncertainties in ACT. By introducing the digital twin, uncertain factors can be detected and handled through the interaction and fusion of physical and virtual spaces. The improved artificial fish swarm algorithm Dijkstra (IAFSA-Dijkstra) is proposed for the optimal AGV scheduling and routing solution, which will be verified in the virtual space and further fed back to the real world to guide actual AGV transport. Then, a twin-data-driven conflict prediction method is proposed to predict potential conflicts by constantly comparing the differences between physical and virtual ACT. Further, a conflict resolution method based on the Yen algorithm is explored to resolve predicted conflicts and drive the evolution of the scheme. Case study examples show that the proposed method can effectively improve efficiency and reduce the cost of AGV scheduling and routing in ACT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The motion planning module is the core module of the automated vehicle software system, which plays a key role in connecting its preceding element, i.e., the sensing module, and its following element, i.e., the control module. The design of an adaptive polar lattice-based local obstacle avoidance (APOLLO) algorithm proposed in this paper takes full account of the characteristics of the vehicle's sensing and control systems. The core of our approach mainly consists of three phases, i.e., the adaptive polar lattice-based local search space design, the collision-free path generation and the path smoothing. By adjusting a few parameters, the algorithm can be adapted to different driving environments and different kinds of vehicle chassis. Simulations show that the proposed method owns strong environmental adaptability and low computation complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: Fully automated and personalised radiotherapy treatment planning. Automated planning (AP) uses common protocols for all patients within a cancer site. This work investigated using machine learning to personalise AP protocols for fully individualised planning. A 'Pareto guided automated planning' (PGAP) solution was used to generate patient-specific AP protocols and gold standard Pareto navigated reference plans (MCOgs) for 40 prostate cancer patients. Anatomical features related to geometry were extracted and two ML approaches (clustering and regression) that predicted patient-specific planning goal weights were trained on patients 1–20. For validation, three plans were generated for patients 21–40 using a standard site-specific AP protocol based on averaged weights (PGAPstd) and patient-specific AP protocols generated via regression (PGAP-MLreg) and clustering (PGAP-MLclus). The three methods were compared to MCOgs in terms of weighting factors and plan dose metrics. Results demonstrated that at the population level PGAPstd, PGAP-MLreg and PGAP-MLclus provided excellent correspondence with MCOgs. Deviations were either not statistically significant (p ≥ 0.05), or of a small magnitude, with all coverage and hotspot dose metrics within 0.2 Gy of MCOgs and OAR metrics within 0.7% and 0.4 Gy for volume and dose metrics, respectively. When compared to PGAPstd, patient-specific protocols offered minimal advantage for this cancer site, with both approaches highly congruent with MCOgs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the industry shifts to automated manufacturing and the assembly of parts in smaller batches, there is a clear need for an efficient design of grippers. This paper presents a method for automated grasp planning and finger design for multiple parts using four grasp quality measures that capture the following important requirements for grasping: (i) uniform contact force distribution; (ii) better gravity wrench resistance; (iii) robustness against gripper positioning error; and (iv) ability to resist larger external wrench on the object. We introduce the fingertip score to quantify the grasp performance of a fingertip design over all the objects. The method takes the CAD model of the objects as the input and outputs the optimal grasp location and the best finger design. We use the method for a three-point grasp with a parallel jaw gripper. We validate our method on two sets of objects. Results show how each grasp quality measure behaves on different objects and the variation in the fingertip score with finger design. Finally, we test the effectiveness of the optimal finger design experimentally. The three-point grasp is suitable for grasping objects larger than is possible with shape-matching fingertips. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein, to address the challenges faced by Automatic Guided Vehicles (AGVs) in construction site environments, including heavy vehicle loads, extensive road search areas, and randomly distributed obstacles, this paper presents a hierarchical trajectory planning algorithm that combines coarse planning and precise planning. In the first-level coarse planning, lateral and longitudinal sampling is performed based on road environment constraints. A multi-criteria cost function is designed, taking into account factors such as deviation from the road centerline, shortest path cost, and obstacle collision safety cost. An efficient dynamic programming algorithm is used to obtain the optimal path. Considering nonholonomic constraints of vehicles, eliminating inflection points using improved B-Spline path fitting, and a quadratic programming algorithm is proposed to enhance path smoothness, completing the coarse planning algorithm. In the second-level precise planning, the coarse planning path is used as a reference line, and small-range sampling is conducted based on AGV motion constraints, including lateral displacement and longitudinal velocity. Lateral and longitudinal polynomials are constructed. To address the impact of randomly appearing obstacles on vehicle stability and safety, an evaluation function is designed, considering factors such as jerk and acceleration. The optimal trajectory is determined through collision detection, ensuring both safe obstacle avoidance and AGV smoothness. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of this method in solving the path planning challenges faced by AGVs in construction site environments characterized by heavy vehicle loads, extensive road search areas, and randomly distributed obstacles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In complex driving scenarios, automated vehicles should behave reasonably and respond adaptively with high computational efficiency. In this paper, a computational efficient motion planning method is proposed, which considers traffic interaction and accelerates calculation. Firstly, the behavior is decided by connecting the points on the unequally divided road segments and lane centerlines, which simplifies the decision-making process in both space and time span. Secondly, as the dynamic vehicle model with changeable longitudinal velocity is considered in the trajectory generation module, the C/GMRES algorithm is used to accelerate the calculation of trajectory generation and realize on-line solving in nonlinear model predictive control. Meanwhile, the motion of other traffic participants is more accurately predicted based on the driver's intention and kinematics vehicle model, which enables the host vehicle to obtain a more reasonable behavior and trajectory. The simulation results verify the effectiveness of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, we propose a new distributed, dynamic, and recursive planning approach able to consider the hierarchical nature of the holonic agent and the unpredictable evolution of its behaviour. For each new version of the holonic agent, introduced because of the agent members obtaining new roles to achieve new goals and adapt to the changing environment, the approach generates a new plan that can solve the new planning problem associated with this new version against which the plans, executed by the holonic agent, become obsolete. To do this, the approach starts by generating sub-plans capable of solving the planning subproblems associated with the groups of the holonic agent at its different levels. It then recursively links the sub-plans, according to their hierarchical and behavioural dependency, to obtain a global plan. To generate the sub-plans, the approach exploits the behavioural model of the holonic agent's groups, thereby minimising the computation rate imposed by other multi-agent planning methods. In our work, we have used a concrete case to show and illustrate the usefulness of our approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential for site-specific, process-parameter control is an attribute of additive manufacturing (AM) that makes it highly attractive as a manufacturing process. The research interest in the functionally grading material properties of numerous AM processes has been high for years. However, one of the issues that slows developmental progress in this area is process planning. It is not uncommon for manual programming methods and bespoke solutions to be utilized for site-specific control efforts. This article presents the development of slicing software that contains a fully automated process planning approach for enabling through-thickness, process-parameter control for a range of AM processes. The technique includes the use of parent and child geometries for controlling the locations of site-specific parameters, which are overlayed onto unmodified toolpaths, i.e., a vector-based planning approach is used in which additional information, such as melt pool size for large-scale metal AM processes, is assigned to the vectors. This technique has the potential for macro- and micro-structural modifications to printed objects. A proof-of-principle experiment is highlighted in which this technique was used to generate dynamic bead geometries that were deposited to induce a novel surface embossing effect, and additional software examples are presented that highlight software support for more complex objects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are vital for optimizing the transport of material in modern industry. AGVs have been widely used in production, logistics, transportation, and commerce, enhancing productivity, lowering labor costs, improving energy efficiency, and ensuring safety. However, path planning for AGVs in complex and dynamic environments remains challenging due to the computation of obstacle avoidance and efficient transport. This study proposes a novel approach that combines multi-objective particle swarm optimization (MOPSO) and the dynamic-window approach (DWA) to enhance AGV path planning. Optimal AGV trajectories considering energy consumption, travel time, and collision avoidance were used to model the multi-objective functions for dealing with the outcome-feasible optimal solution. Empirical findings and results demonstrate the approach's effectiveness and efficiency, highlighting its potential for improving AGV navigation in real-world scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the implementation of AGV technology and automated scheduling, storage and retrieval systems have become widely utilized in warehouse management. However, due to the use of unidirectional channels, AGV movement is restricted, and detours may occur frequently. Additionally, as the number of AGVs increases, deadlocks can arise, which lead to delays in order packaging and a decrease in overall warehouse performance. Hence, this paper proposes a dynamic scheduling method for task assignment and route optimization of AGVs to prevent collisions. The routing optimization method is based on an improved A* algorithm, which takes into account the dynamic map as input. Moreover, this paper investigates highly complex collision scenarios in bidirectional channels. Through simulation experiments, it is evident that scheduling methods based on bidirectional channels offer a clear advantage in terms of efficiency compared to those based on unidirectional channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recognition of human activities from video sequences and their transformation into a machine-readable form is a challenging task, which is the subject of many studies. The goal of this project is to develop an automated method for analyzing, identifying and processing motion capture data into a planning language. This is performed in a cooking scenario by recording the pose of the acting hand. First, predefined side actions are detected in the dataset using classification. The remaining frames are then clustered into main actions. Using this information, the known initial positions and virtual object tracking, a machine-readable planning domain definition language (PDDL) is generated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because they are environmentally friendly and safe, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) are increasingly used in newly constructed automated container terminals. However, their scheduling strategy is constrained by their limited battery capacity. When batteries reach their charging threshold, the AGVs need to be returned to battery-swapping stations. Moreover, the movement speed of AGVs has a significant impact on their energy consumption and operating times. Therefore, in this paper, a speed control strategy that considers the traffic environment of the terminal is proposed from the perspective of energy conservation and emission reduction. In addition, the charging capacity of the terminal is discretized to model its limited handling capacity to avoid congestion in the battery-swapping stations. To minimize the costs of delays and carbon emissions of AGV operations, a mixed integer programming model is established. It optimizes the efficiency and carbon emissions of the operations by assigning and prioritizing container transportation and AGV battery-swapping tasks. An improved genetic algorithm-based approach is designed where a better initial solution is obtained through a greedy strategy, while simulated annealing is adopted for population selection to prevent the algorithm from falling into local optima. Furthermore, an adaptive adjustment strategy for crossover and mutation probabilities is adopted to improve the algorithm's convergence. Finally, a series of numerical experiments is conducted to verify the efficiency of the proposed method. The experimental results indicate that considering the variability of AGV speed can more accurately characterize their energy consumption, and increasing the number of AGVs and enhancing the battery-swapping capacity can effectively reduce the costs of delays and carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This ex vivo experimental study sought to compare screw planning accuracy of a self-derived deep-learning-based (DL) and a commercial atlas-based (ATL) tool and to assess robustness towards pathologic spinal anatomy. Methods: From a consecutive registry, 50 cases (256 screws in L1-L5) were randomly selected for experimental planning. Reference screws were manually planned by two independent raters. Additional planning sets were created using the automatic DL and ATL tools. Using Python, automatic planning was compared to the reference in 3D space by calculating minimal absolute distances (MAD) for screw head and tip points (mm) and angular deviation (degree). Results were evaluated for interrater variability of reference screws. Robustness was evaluated in subgroups stratified for alteration of spinal anatomy. Results: Planning was successful in all 256 screws using DL and in 208/256 (81%) using ATL. MAD to the reference for head and tip points and angular deviation was 3.93 ± 2.08 mm, 3.49 ± 1.80 mm and 4.46 ± 2.86° for DL and 7.77 ± 3.65 mm, 7.81 ± 4.75 mm and 6.70 ± 3.53° for ATL, respectively. Corresponding interrater variance for reference screws was 4.89 ± 2.04 mm, 4.36 ± 2.25 mm and 5.27 ± 3.20°, respectively. Planning accuracy was comparable to the manual reference for DL, while ATL produced significantly inferior results (p < 0.0001). DL was robust to altered spinal anatomy while planning failure was pronounced for ATL in 28/82 screws (34%) in the subgroup with severely altered spinal anatomy and alignment (p < 0.0001). Conclusions: Deep learning appears to be a promising approach to reliable automated screw planning, coping well with anatomic variations of the spine that severely limit the accuracy of ATL systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Decision support systems (DSS) are needed to carry out precision irrigation. Key issues in this regard include how to deal with spatial variability and the adoption of deficit irrigation strategies at the field scale. A software application originally designed for water balance-based automated irrigation scheduling locally fine-tuned through the use of sensors has been further developed with the emerging paradigm of both digital twins and the Internet of Things (IoT). The aim of this research is to demonstrate the feasibility of automatically scheduling the irrigation of a commercial vineyard when adopting regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) strategies and assimilating in near real time the fraction of absorbed photosynthetically active radiation (fAPAR) obtained from Sentinel-2 imagery. In addition, simulations of crop evapotranspiration obtained by the digital twin were compared with remote sensing estimates using surface energy balance models and Copernicus-based inputs. Results showed that regression between instantaneous fAPAR and in situ measurements of the fraction of intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (fIPAR) had a coefficient of determination (R2) ranging from 0.61 to 0.91, and a root mean square deviation (RMSD) of 0.10. The conversion of fAPAR to a daily time step was dependent on row orientation. A site-specific automated irrigation scheduling was successfully adopted and an adaptive response allowed spontaneous adjustments in order to stress vines to a certain level at specific growing stages. Simulations of the soil water balance components performed well. The regression between digital twin simulations and remote sensing-estimated actual (two-source energy balance Priestley–Taylor modeling approach, TSEB-PTS2+S3) and potential (Penman–Monteith approach) evapotranspiration showed RMSD values of 0.98 mm/day and 1.14 mm/day, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Robot-based assembly in construction has emerged as a promising solution to address numerous challenges such as increasing costs, labor shortages, and the demand for safe and efficient construction processes. One of the main obstacles in realizing the full potential of these robotic systems is the need for effective and efficient sequence planning for construction tasks. Current approaches, including mathematical and heuristic techniques or machine learning methods, face limitations in their adaptability and scalability to dynamic construction environments. To expand the current robot system's sequential understanding ability, this paper introduces RoboGPT, a novel system that leverages the advanced reasoning capabilities of ChatGPT, a large language model, for automated sequence planning in robot-based assembly applied to construction tasks. The proposed system adapts ChatGPT for construction sequence planning and demonstrates its feasibility and effectiveness through experimental evaluation including two case studies and 80 trials involving real construction tasks. The results show that RoboGPT-driven robots can handle complex construction operations and adapt to changes on the fly. This paper contributes to the ongoing efforts to enhance the capabilities and performance of robot-based assembly systems in the construction industry, and it paves the way for further integration of large language model technologies in the field of construction robotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developers and users of artificial-intelligence-based tools for automatic contouring and treatment planning in radiotherapy are expected to assess clinical acceptability of these tools. However, what is 'clinical acceptability'? Quantitative and qualitative approaches have been used to assess this ill-defined concept, all of which have advantages and disadvantages or limitations. The approach chosen may depend on the goal of the study as well as on available resources. In this paper, we discuss various aspects of 'clinical acceptability' and how they can move us toward a standard for defining clinical acceptability of new autocontouring and planning tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automated planning is a well-established field of artificial intelligence (AI), with applications in route finding, robotics and operational research, among others. The task of developing a plan is often solved by finding a path in a graph representing the search domain; a robust plan consists of numerous paths that can be chosen if the execution of the best (optimal) one fails. While robust planning for a single entity is rather simple, development of a robust plan for multiple entities in a common environment can lead to combinatorial explosion. This paper proposes a novel hybrid approach, joining heuristic search and the wavefront algorithm to provide a plan featuring robustness in areas where it is needed, while maintaining a low level of computational complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among more dramatic effects, the COVID-19 scenario also raised the need for new online information and communication services, promoting the spread of software solutions whose usefulness will last well beyond the pandemic situation. Particularly in the cultural heritage domain, it has been unveiled the relevance of new AI-based approaches, able to dynamically aggregate information and making them available for a customized fruition aimed to the individual cultural growth. Here, we integrate machine learning techniques for the automatic generation of contents for an intelligent tutoring system grounded on automated planning techniques. We present a solution for semantic, intelligent creation of personalized cultural contents, born as a lesson-making assistant, but developed as to become a multi-function "cultural crossover", useful in the frame of a wide range of planning, dissemination, and managing activities for cultural heritage contents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous prospects for automated unmanned forklifts in the fields of intelligent logistics and intelligent factories. However, existing unmanned forklifts often operate according to offline path planning first followed by path tracking to move materials. This process does not meet the needs of flexible production in intelligent logistics. To solve this problem, we proposed an optimized online motion planner based on the output of the state grid as the original path. Constraints such as vehicle kinematics; dynamics; turning restriction at the end of the path; spatial safety envelope; and the position and orientation at the starting point and the ending point were considered during path optimization, generating a precise and smooth trajectory for industrial forklifts that satisfied non-holonomic vehicle constraints. In addition, a new rapid algorithm for calculating the spatial safety envelope was proposed in this article, which can be used for collision avoidance and as a turning-angle constraint term for path smoothing. Finally, a simulation experiment and real-world tray-insertion task experiment were carried out. The experiments showed that the proposal was effective and accurate via online motion planning and the tracking of automated unmanned forklifts in a complicated environment and that the proposal fully satisfied the needs of industrial navigation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flexible control strategies are required in industrial scenarios to coordinate the actions of mobile manipulators (e.g., robots and humans). Temporal planning approaches can be used as such control strategies because they can generate those actions for the agents that must be executed to reach the goals, from any given state of the world. To deploy such approaches, planning models must be formulated. Although available in the literature, these models are not generic enough such that they can be easily transferred to new use cases. In this work, a generic industrial scenario is derived from real scenarios. For this scenario, a generic planning problem is developed. To demonstrate their generality, the two constructs are configured for a new scenario, where custom grippers are assembled. Lastly, a validation methodology is developed for the generic planning problem. The results show that the generic industrial scenario and the generic planning problem can be easily instantiated for new use cases, without any new modelling. Further, the proposed validation methodology guarantees that these planning problems are complete enough to be used in industrial use cases. The generic scenario, the planning problems, and the validation methodology are proposed as standards for use when deploying temporal planning in industrial scenarios with mobile manipulators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Emergencies such as machine breakdowns and rush orders greatly affect the production activities of manufacturing enterprises. How to deal with the rescheduling problem after emergencies have high practical value. Meanwhile, under the background of intelligent manufacturing, automatic guided vehicles are gradually emerging in enterprises. To deal with the disturbances in flexible job shop scheduling problem with automatic guided vehicle transportation, a mixed-integer linear programming model is established. According to the traits of this model, an improved NSGA-II is designed, aiming at minimizing makespan, energy consumption and machine workload deviation. To improve solution qualities, the local search operator based on a critical path is designed. In addition, an improved crowding distance calculation method is used to reduce the computation complexity of the algorithm. Finally, the validity of the improvement strategies is tested, and the robustness and superiority of the proposed algorithm are verified by comparing it with NSGA, NSGA-II and SPEA2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Featured Application: The artifact developed in this article is applicable to AGV and production planning optimization problems that align with the principles of the job-shop scheduling problem (JSSP) and the flexible job-shop scheduling problem (FJSSP). Artificial intelligence is considered to be a significant technology for driving the future evolution of smart manufacturing environments. At the same time, automated guided vehicles (AGVs) play an essential role in manufacturing systems due to their potential to improve internal logistics by increasing production flexibility. Thereby, the productivity of the entire system relies on the quality of the schedule, which can achieve production cost savings by minimizing delays and the total makespan. However, traditional scheduling algorithms often have difficulties in adapting to changing environment conditions, and the performance of a selected algorithm depends on the individual scheduling problem. Therefore, this paper aimed to analyze the scheduling problem classes of AGVs by applying design science research to develop an algorithm selection approach. The designed artifact addressed a catalogue of characteristics that used several machine learning algorithms to find the optimal solution strategy for the intended scheduling problem. The contribution of this paper is the creation of an algorithm selection method that automatically selects a scheduling algorithm, depending on the problem class and the algorithm space. In this way, production efficiency can be increased by dynamically adapting the AGV schedules. A computational study with benchmark literature instances unveiled the successful implementation of constraint programming solvers for solving JSSP and FJSSP scheduling problems and machine learning algorithms for predicting the most promising solver. The performance of the solvers strongly depended on the given problem class and the problem instance. Consequently, the overall production performance increased by selecting the algorithms per instance. A field experiment in the learning factory at Reutlingen University enabled the validation of the approach within a running production scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, many construction projects in KSA still struggle with cost overruns and delay in activities. Therefore, automatic monitoring approaches are needed in the construction progress monitoring domain (CPM) to address these concerns. Thus, this paper proposed a system integrating a BIM-planned model with site laser scans, as laser scanners showed massive potential in the CPM domain. The algorithms of the proposed system recognized 3D objects based on the intersection between models, alignment accuracy, and Lalonde features. The proposed system combined 3D object recognition technology with 5D information data into a 5D progress tracking system using earned value (EV) principles. The reason behind that is a lack of research regarding conducting a 5D assessment integrated BIM with 3D sensing technology in the CPM domain. The proposed system was verified using field data from a superstructure construction project where the object recognition indicators showed a 98% recall and 99% precision in recognizing 3D objects. The proposed system also used a color-coding system to address the condition of each element based on its recognition and scheduling state and address any occlusions while calculating the recognized objects. The results also revealed an automatically updated status of the project's progress in terms of schedule(4D) and cost(5D). The automated results were also validated with a manual calculation, where a slight variation (1.35%) was observed between those calculations. This system demonstrates a degree of accurate progress tracking, automatically exceeding manual performance with less computational time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The narrow corridor is a common working scene for automated vehicles, where it is pretty challenging to plan a safe, feasible, and smooth trajectory due to the narrow passable area constraints. This paper presents a space discretization-based optimal trajectory planning method for automated vehicles in a narrow corridor scene with the consideration of travel time minimization and boundary collision avoidance. In this method, we first design a mathematically-described driving corridor model. Then, we build a space discretization-based trajectory optimization model in which the objective function is travel efficiency, and the vehicle-kinematics constraints, collision avoidance constraints, and several other constraints are proposed to ensure the feasibility and comfortability of the planned trajectory. Finally, the proposed method is verified with both simulations and field tests. The experimental results demonstrate the trajectory planned by the proposed method is smoother and more computationally efficient compared with the baseline methods while significantly reducing the tracking error indicating the proposed method has huge application potential in trajectory planning in the narrow corridor scenario for automated vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid development of global trade, ports and terminals are playing an increasingly important role, and automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) have been used as the main carriers performing the loading/unloading operations in automated container terminals. In this paper, we investigate a multi-AGV dynamic scheduling problem to improve the terminal operational efficiency, considering the sophisticated complexity and uncertainty involved in the port terminal operation. We propose to model the dynamic scheduling of AGVs as a Markov decision process (MDP) with mixed decision rules. Then, we develop a novel adaptive learning algorithm based on a deep Q-network (DQN) to generate the optimal policy. The proposed algorithm is trained based on data obtained from interactions with a simulation environment that reflects the real-world operation of an automated in Shanghai, China. The simulation studies show that, compared with conventional scheduling methods using a heuristic algorithm, i.e., genetic algorithm (GA) and rule-based scheduling, terminal the proposed approach performs better in terms of effectiveness and efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we present and discuss a variant of the classical vehicle routing problem (VRP), namely the heterogeneous multitype fleet green automated guided vehicle (AGV) routing problem with time windows (HFGVRPTW) applied in the workshops of flexible manufacturing systems (FMS). Specifically, based on the analysis of AGV body structure and motion state, transport distance and energy consumption are selected as two optimization objectives. According to the characteristics and application context of the problem, this paper designs a hybrid genetic algorithm with large neighborhood search (GA-LNS) considering the farthest insertion heuristic. GA-LNS is improved by increasing the local search ability of genetic algorithm to enhance the solution optimal quality. Extensive computational experiments which are generated from Solomon's benchmark instances and a real case of FMS are designed to evaluate and demonstrate the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed model and algorithm. The experimental results reveal that compared with using the traditional homogeneous fleet, the heterogeneous multitype AGV fleet transportation mode has a huge energy-saving potential in workshop intralogistics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we claim that the operation schedule of automated stacking cranes (ASC) in the storage yard of automated container terminals can be built effectively and efficiently by using a crane dispatching policy, and propose a noisy optimization algorithm named N-RTS that can derive such a policy efficiently. To select a job for an ASC, our dispatching policy uses a multi-criteria scoring function to calculate the score of each candidate job using a weighted summation of the evaluations in those criteria. As the calculated score depends on the respective weights of these criteria, and thus a different weight vector gives rise to a different best candidate, a weight vector can be deemed as a policy. A good weight vector, or policy, can be found by a simulation-based search where a candidate policy is evaluated through a computationally expensive simulation of applying the policy to some operation scenarios. We may simplify the simulation to save time but at the cost of sacrificing the evaluation accuracy. N-RTS copes with this dilemma by maintaining a good balance between exploration and exploitation. Experimental results show that the policy derived by N-RTS outperforms other ASC scheduling methods. We also conducted additional experiments using some benchmark functions to validate the performance of N-RTS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a decade, researchers have focused on the development and deployment of road automated mobility. In the development of autonomous driving embedded systems, several stages are required. The first one deals with the perception layers. The second one is dedicated to the risk assessment, the decision and strategy layers and the optimal trajectory planning. The last stage addresses the vehicle control/command. This paper proposes an efficient solution to the second stage and improves a virtual Cooperative Pilot (Co-Pilot) already proposed in 2012. This paper thus introduces a trajectory planning algorithm for automated vehicles (AV), specifically designed for emergency situations and based on the Autonomous Decision-Support Framework (ADSF) of the EU project Trustonomy. This algorithm is an extended version of Elastic Band (EB) with no fixed final position. A set of trajectory nodes is iteratively deduced from obstacles and constraints, thus providing flexibility, fast computation, and physical realism. After introducing the project framework for risk management and the general concept of ADSF, the emergency algorithm is presented and tested under Matlab software. Finally, the Decision-Support framework is implemented under RTMaps software and demonstrated within Pro-SiVIC, a realistic 3D simulation environment. Both the previous virtual Co-Pilot and the new emergency algorithm are combined and used in a near-accident situation and shown in different risky scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mastoidectomy is critical in acoustic neuroma surgery, where precise planning of the bone milling area is essential for surgical navigation. The complexity of representing the irregular volumetric area and the presence of high-risk structures (e.g., blood vessels and nerves) complicate this task. In order to determine the bone area to mill using preoperative CT images automatically, we propose an automated planning method using evolutionary multi-objective optimization for safer and more efficient milling plans. High-resolution segmentation of the adjacent risk structures is performed on preoperative CT images with a template-based approach. The maximum milling area is defined based on constraints from the risk structures and tool dimensions. Deformation fields are used to simplify the volumetric area into limited continuous parameters suitable for optimization. Finally, a multi-objective optimization algorithm is used to achieve a Pareto-optimal design. Compared with manual planning on six volumes, our method reduced the potential damage to the scala vestibuli by 29.8%, improved the milling boundary smoothness by 78.3%, and increased target accessibility by 26.4%. Assessment by surgeons confirmed the clinical feasibility of the generated plans. In summary, this study presents a parameterization approach to irregular volumetric regions, enabling automated milling area planning through optimization techniques that ensure safety and feasibility. This method is also adaptable to various volumetric planning scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The promising power-to-gas (P2G) technology makes it possible for wind farms to absorb carbon and trade in multiple energy markets. Considering the remoteness of wind farms equipped with P2G systems and the isolation of different energy markets, the scheduling process may suffer from inefficient coordination and unstable information. An automated scheduling approach is thus proposed. Firstly, an automated scheduling framework enabled by smart contract is established for reliable coordination between wind farms and multiple energy markets. Considering the limited logic complexity and insufficient calculation of smart contracts, an off-chain procedure as a workaround is proposed to avoid complex on-chain solutions. Next, a non-linear model of the P2G system is developed to enhance the accuracy of scheduling results. The scheduling strategy takes into account not only the revenues from multiple energy trades, but also the penalties for violating contract items in smart contracts. Then, the implementation of smart contracts under a blockchain environment is presented with multiple participants, including voting in an agreed scheduling result as the plan. Finally, the case study is conducted in a typical two-stage scheduling process—i.e., day-ahead and real-time scheduling—and the results verify the efficiency of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The balloon-borne Planetary Atmosphere Spectroscopic Telescope (PAST), China's first planetary optical remote-sensing project, will be launched for testing and conducting scientific flights during 2021 and 2022. Images of the planetary atmosphere and plasma in ultraviolet and visible wavelengths will be used to investigate the diversity of the planetary space environment in the solar system and their different drivers. Because simultaneous observation of multiple target planets in the solar system is possible, effective observation scheduling is critical to acquire high scientific merit spectroscopic imaging data. Herein, we demonstrate an automatic scheduling tool (AST) to aid the planning of observation schedules. The AST is primarily based on a planetary ephemeris and is realized on the basis of the geometrical information and optical requirements of the telescope. The temporal variations of the planetary reference frames can also be obtained to assist in the positioning and data processing of the telescope. As a part of the Chinese deep-space exploration plan, several ground-based planetary optical telescopes will be constructed in China in the future. With the use of the proposed AST, such telescopes can achieve maximum efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Manual inspection of workpieces in highly flexible production facilities with small lot sizes is costly and less reliable compared to automated inspection systems. Reinforcement Learning (RL) offers promising, intelligent solutions for robotic inspection and manufacturing tasks. This paper presents an RL-based approach to determine a high-quality set of sensor view poses for arbitrary workpieces based on their 3D computer-aided design (CAD). The framework extends available open-source libraries and provides an interface to the Robot Operating System (ROS) for deploying any supported robot and sensor. The integration into commonly used OpenAI Gym and Baselines leads to an expandable and comparable benchmark for RL algorithms. We give a comprehensive overview of related work in the field of view planning and RL. A comparison of different RL algorithms provides a proof of concept for the framework's functionality in experimental scenarios. The obtained results exhibit a coverage ratio of up to 0.8 illustrating its potential impact and expandability. The project will be made publicly available along with this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing integration of renewable energies into the grid is calling for the expansion of the power transport capacities in the distribution system. Yet, the expansion of the grid could require long authorization procedures and cannot be always asserted. Therefore, a higher utilization of the existing grid is becoming increasingly necessary today. This paper proposes a new time series-based planning method for distribution systems using classical grid expansion instruments as well as innovative planning instruments such as battery storage systems (BSS) and dynamic power curtailment (DPC). These planning instruments could be applied individually or combined. The aim of the BSS and DPC application is to enable a higher utilization of the grid at minimal costs. The proposed method, which has been implemented as an automated planning algorithm, determines the cost-optimal grid reinforcement measures that ensure the prevention of prognosticated congestions in the considered grid. Furthermore, the application of the proposed planning method on the considered power system has proven that a combination of BSS and grid expansion could be more economical than an individual application of BSS and grid expansion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agent-based intelligent manufacturing control systems are capable to efficiently respond and adapt to environmental changes. Manufacturing system adaptation and evolution can be addressed with learning mechanisms that increase the intelligence of agents. In this paper a manufacturing scheduling method is presented based on Timed Colored Petri Nets (CTPNs) and reinforcement learning (RL). CTPNs model the manufacturing system and implement the scheduling. In the search for an optimal solution a scheduling agent uses RL and in particular the Q-learning algorithm. A warehouse order-picking scheduling is presented as a case study to illustrate the method. The proposed scheduling method is compared to existing methods. Simulation and state space results are used to evaluate performance and identify system properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aviation industry has proposed multiple solutions to reduce fuel consumption, air pollution, and noise at airports, one of which involves deploying electric trucks for aircraft towing between the stand and the runway. However, the introduction of tow trucks results in increased surface traffic, posing challenges from the perspective of air traffic controllers (ATCOs). Various solutions involving automated planning and execution have been proposed, but many are constrained by their inability to manage multiple active runways simultaneously, and their failure to account for the tow truck battery state of charge during assignments. This paper presents a novel system for taxi operations that employs autonomous tow trucks to enhance ground operations and address deficiencies in existing approaches. The system focuses on identifying conflict-free solutions that minimise taxi-related delays and route length while maximising the efficient use of the tow trucks. The algorithm operates at a strategic level and uses a centralised approach. It has the capacity to cater for multiple active runways and considers factors such as the tow truck battery state of charge and availability of charging stations. Furthermore, the proposed algorithm is capable of scheduling and routing tow trucks for aircraft taxiing without generating traffic conflicts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We propose a motion planning method for automated vehicles (AVs) to complete driving tasks in dynamic traffic scenes. The proposed method aims to generate motion trajectories for an AV after obtaining the surrounding dynamic information and making a preliminary driving decision. The method generates a reference line by interpolating the original waypoints and generates optional trajectories with costs in a prediction interval containing three dimensions (lateral distance, time, and velocity) in the Frenet frame, and filters the optimal trajectory by a series of threshold checks. When calculating the feasibility of optional trajectories, the cost of all optional trajectories after removing obstacle interference shows obvious axisymmetric regularity concerning the reference line. Based on this regularity, we apply the constrained Simulated Annealing Algorithm (SAA) to improve the process of searching for the optimal trajectories. Experiments in three different simulated driving scenarios (speed maintaining, lane changing, and car following) show that the proposed method can efficiently generate safe and comfortable motion trajectories for AVs in dynamic environments. Compared with the method of traversing sampling points in discrete space, the improved motion planning method saves 70.23% of the computation time, and overcomes the limitation of the spatial sampling interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the horizontal transportation efficiency of the terminal Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs), it is necessary to focus on coordinating the time and space synchronization operation of the loading and unloading of equipment, the transportation of equipment during the operation, and the reduction in the completion time of the task. Traditional scheduling methods limited dynamic response capabilities and were not suitable for handling dynamic terminal operating environments. Therefore, this paper discusses how to use delivery task information and AGVs spatiotemporal information to dynamically schedule AGVs, minimizes the delay time of tasks and AGVs travel time, and proposes a deep reinforcement learning algorithm framework. The framework combines the benefits of real-time response and flexibility of the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) and the Deep Deterministic Policy Gradient (DDPG) algorithm, and can dynamically adjust AGVs scheduling strategies according to the input spatiotemporal state information. In the framework, firstly, the AGVs scheduling process is defined as a Markov decision process, which analyzes the system's spatiotemporal state information in detail, introduces assignment heuristic rules, and rewards the reshaping mechanism in order to realize the decoupling of the model and the AGVs dynamic scheduling problem. Then, a multi-channel matrix is built to characterize space–time state information, the CNN is used to generalize and approximate the action value functions of different state information, and the DDPG algorithm is used to achieve the best AGV and container matching in the decision stage. The proposed model and algorithm frame are applied to experiments with different cases. The scheduling performance of the adaptive genetic algorithm and rolling horizon approach is compared. The results show that, compared with a single scheduling rule, the proposed algorithm improves the average performance of task completion time, task delay time, AGVs travel time and task delay rate by 15.63%, 56.16%, 16.36% and 30.22%, respectively; compared with AGA and RHPA, it reduces the tasks completion time by approximately 3.10% and 2.40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]