Large scale optimization for resource planning

• Main Author: Ajeet Singh
• Other Authors: Meng-Hiot Lim
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: Nanyang Technological University 2021
• Subjects: Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/10356/149336
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

With the growing demands of online shopping, keeping track of warehouse inventory is becoming a crucial component of the overall supply chain in ensuring the fast and effective delivery of goods from suppliers to consumers. In this project, we formulate it as a discrete resource allocation problem, involving manpower and automation. The idea is to use robots to automate routine tasks in the warehouse thus alleviating the manpower constraints freeing up the human resources for other more critical tasks. As an international trading and distribution hub, warehouse operations are an important part of Singapore’s brick and mortar infrastructure. With the large and massive scale of warehouse operations, robots will inadvertently become a mainstay of warehouse logistics. Undeniably, warehouse logistics in an important part of the Singapore economy. To ensure that there is sufficient manpower to sustain this sector of the economy, manpower needs must be addressed. We propose to a model of a robot specifically targeted for warehouse operations as a platform for cultivating interests and appreciation for warehouse logistics. By being engaged in the building of a robot for inventory control in a warehouse setting, we believe that students through the activities will develop a deep sense of appreciation in supply chain logistics. The project aims to demonstrate and document the building of a robot that can be remotely controlled, able to interface with the logistics operations by scanning Radio Frequency Identification (RFID)/ Quick Response (QR) codes to facilitate in stock-taking operations, as well as implementing shortest path algorithm, to aid in resource optimisation and planning. Furthermore, to leverage on the camera that is attached for QR code detection we can add on a surveillance capability for the warehouse operations robot. The warehouse assistant robot was programmed in Python to control the motors as well as the camera and the RFID module. A Graphical User Interface (GUI) is built for user to remotely control the robot via a webpage using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP). The Flask micro framework platform is used to set the Raspberry PI as a local web server. As a concurrent effort to document the project stages, a complete documentation of the project will be created to serve as a training aids for future use. I envision this training aids, would be useful for beginners intending to start their robotics journey with a simple robot chassis and commercially available components. In doing so, I hope to pass down the knowledge learnt and contribute back to community of eager robotic learners.