Anti-collision method for AGV using RFID and ZigBee network

This work presents an anti-collision method for an automated guided vehicle (AGV). In this study, we show three ways to obtain the position of AGVs, determine the priority when two or more AGVs enter the areas of collision, and control a route of AGVs on a ZigBee network. First, an AGV easily obtains its position and direction data from the inexpensive, reliable, and flexible radio frequency (RF) tag. Second, the control tower, the Coordinator, determines the AGV´s priority and route by combining various data acquired through other AGVs on the basis of a first-in-first-out algorithm and the shared memory architecture. Third, the AGVs transmit their status data to the Coordinator, and receive the driving data from the Coordinator on the ZigBee network which is a specification for wireless communication protocols using small, inexpensive, low-power digital radios.