Robotic warehousing operations: a learn-then-optimize approach to large-scale neighborhood search

Fuente: arXiv
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Hauptverfasser: Barnhart, Cynthia, Jacquillat, Alexandre, Schmid, Alexandria
Format: Preprint
Veröffentlicht: 2024
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author Barnhart, Cynthia
Jacquillat, Alexandre
Schmid, Alexandria
author_facet Barnhart, Cynthia
Jacquillat, Alexandre
Schmid, Alexandria
contents The rapid deployment of robotics technologies requires dedicated optimization algorithms to manage large fleets of autonomous agents. This paper supports robotic parts-to-picker operations in warehousing by optimizing order-workstation assignments, item-pod assignments and the schedule of order fulfillment at workstations. The model maximizes throughput, while managing human workload at the workstations and congestion in the facility. We solve it via large-scale neighborhood search, with a novel learn-then-optimize approach to subproblem generation. The algorithm relies on an offline machine learning procedure to predict objective improvements based on subproblem features, and an online optimization model to generate a new subproblem at each iteration. In collaboration with Amazon Robotics, we show that our model and algorithm generate much stronger solutions for practical problems than state-of-the-art approaches. In particular, our solution enhances the utilization of robotic fleets by coordinating robotic tasks for human operators to pick multiple items at once, and by coordinating robotic routes to avoid congestion in the facility.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2408_16890
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Robotic warehousing operations: a learn-then-optimize approach to large-scale neighborhood search
Barnhart, Cynthia
Jacquillat, Alexandre
Schmid, Alexandria
Robotics
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
The rapid deployment of robotics technologies requires dedicated optimization algorithms to manage large fleets of autonomous agents. This paper supports robotic parts-to-picker operations in warehousing by optimizing order-workstation assignments, item-pod assignments and the schedule of order fulfillment at workstations. The model maximizes throughput, while managing human workload at the workstations and congestion in the facility. We solve it via large-scale neighborhood search, with a novel learn-then-optimize approach to subproblem generation. The algorithm relies on an offline machine learning procedure to predict objective improvements based on subproblem features, and an online optimization model to generate a new subproblem at each iteration. In collaboration with Amazon Robotics, we show that our model and algorithm generate much stronger solutions for practical problems than state-of-the-art approaches. In particular, our solution enhances the utilization of robotic fleets by coordinating robotic tasks for human operators to pick multiple items at once, and by coordinating robotic routes to avoid congestion in the facility.
title Robotic warehousing operations: a learn-then-optimize approach to large-scale neighborhood search
topic Robotics
Machine Learning
Optimization and Control
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2408.16890