Estimating mean response time and positioning idle vehicles of automated guided vehicle systems in loop layout

An Automated Guided Vehicle System (AGVS) with a loop guide path is modeled as a discrete-time stationary Markov Chain. We consider the AGVS with an unidirectional loop guide path. It is discussedd how to estimate the mean response time, the utilization, and the cycle time of AGV for a delivery order. A procedure is suggested in order to determine the home location of idle vehicles in a way of minimizing the mean response time for an arbitrary delivery order.