Aiming at the flexible manufacturing system with multi-machining and multi-assembly equipment, a new scheduling algorithm is proposed to decompose the assembly structure of the products, thus obtaining simple scheduli...Aiming at the flexible manufacturing system with multi-machining and multi-assembly equipment, a new scheduling algorithm is proposed to decompose the assembly structure of the products, thus obtaining simple scheduling problems and forming the cOrrespOnding agents. Then, the importance and the restriction of each agent are cOnsidered, to obtain an order of simple scheduling problems based on the cooperation game theory. With this order, the scheduling of sub-questions is implemented in term of rules, and the almost optimal scheduling results for meeting the restriction can be obtained. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheduling algorithm.展开更多
We study the computational complexities of three problems on multi-agent scheduling on a single machine.Among the three problems,the computational complexities of the first two problems were still open and the last pr...We study the computational complexities of three problems on multi-agent scheduling on a single machine.Among the three problems,the computational complexities of the first two problems were still open and the last problem was shown to be unary NP-hard in the literature.We show in this paper that the first two problems are unary NP-hard.We also show that the unary NP-hardness proof for the last problem in the literature is invalid,and so,the exact complexity of the problem is still open.展开更多
Aircraft assembly is characterized by stringent precedence constraints,limited resource availability,spatial restrictions,and a high degree of manual intervention.These factors lead to considerable variability in oper...Aircraft assembly is characterized by stringent precedence constraints,limited resource availability,spatial restrictions,and a high degree of manual intervention.These factors lead to considerable variability in operator workloads and significantly increase the complexity of scheduling.To address this challenge,this study investigates the Aircraft Pulsating Assembly Line Scheduling Problem(APALSP)under skilled operator allocation,with the objective of minimizing assembly completion time.A mathematical model considering skilled operator allocation is developed,and a Q-Learning improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm(QLPSO)is proposed.In the algorithm design,a reverse scheduling strategy is adopted to effectively manage large-scale precedence constraints.Moreover,a reverse sequence encoding method is introduced to generate operation sequences,while a time decoding mechanism is employed to determine completion times.The problem is further reformulated as a Markov Decision Process(MDP)with explicitly defined state and action spaces.Within QLPSO,the Q-learning mechanism adaptively adjusts inertia weights and learning factors,thereby achieving a balance between exploration capability and convergence performance.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,extensive computational experiments are conducted on benchmark instances of different scales,including small,medium,large,and ultra-large cases.The results demonstrate that QLPSO consistently delivers stable and high-quality solutions across all scenarios.In ultra-large-scale instances,it improves the best solution by 25.2%compared with the Genetic Algorithm(GA)and enhances the average solution by 16.9%over the Q-learning algorithm,showing clear advantages over the comparative methods.These findings not only confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm but also provide valuable theoretical references and practical guidance for the intelligent scheduling optimization of aircraft pulsating assembly lines.展开更多
In this paper,the multi-agent model about shop logistics is set up.This model has 8 agents:raw materials stock agent,process agent,testing agent,transition agent,production information agent,scheduling agent,process a...In this paper,the multi-agent model about shop logistics is set up.This model has 8 agents:raw materials stock agent,process agent,testing agent,transition agent,production information agent,scheduling agent,process agent and stock agent.The scheduling agent has three subagents:manager agent(MA),resource agent(RA)and part agent(PA).MA,PA and RA are communicating equally that guarantees agility of the whole MAS system.The part tasks pass between MA,RA and PA as an integer,which can guarantee the consistency of the data.We use a detailed example about shop logistics scheduling in a semiconductor company to explain the principle.In this example,we use two scheduling strategies:FCFS and SPT.The result data indicates that the average flow time and lingering ratio are changed using different strategy.It is proves that the multi-agent scheduling is useful.展开更多
Overhead-hoist-transporters (OHTs) have become the most appropriate tools to transport wafer lots between inter-bay and intra-bay in united layouts of automated material handling systems (AMHSs) in 300 mm semiconducto...Overhead-hoist-transporters (OHTs) have become the most appropriate tools to transport wafer lots between inter-bay and intra-bay in united layouts of automated material handling systems (AMHSs) in 300 mm semiconductor wafer fabrications. To obtain a conflict-free scheduling solution, an intelligent multi-agent-based control system framework was built to support the AMHSs. And corresponding algorithms and rules were proposed to implement cooperation among agents. On the basis of the mentioned above, a time-constraint-based heuristic scheduling algorithm was presented to support the routing decision agent in searching the conflict-free shortest path. In the construction of the algorithm, the conflicted intervals of the k-shortest-route were identified with the time window theory. The most available path was chosen with an objective of the minimum completion time. The back tracking method was combined to finish the routing scheduling. Finally, experiments of the proposed method were simulated. The results show that the multi-agent framework is suitable and the proposed scheduling algorithm is feasible and valid.展开更多
The resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and a decision-making model based on multi-agent systems (MAS) and general equilibrium marketing are proposed. An algorithm leading to the resource allocatio...The resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and a decision-making model based on multi-agent systems (MAS) and general equilibrium marketing are proposed. An algorithm leading to the resource allocation decision involved in RCPSP has also been developed. And this algorithm can be used in the multi-project scheduling field as well.Finally, an illustration is given.展开更多
Due to the fading characteristics of wireless channels and the burstiness of data traffic,how to deal with congestion in Ad-hoc networks with effective algorithms is still open and challenging.In this paper,we focus o...Due to the fading characteristics of wireless channels and the burstiness of data traffic,how to deal with congestion in Ad-hoc networks with effective algorithms is still open and challenging.In this paper,we focus on enabling congestion control to minimize network transmission delays through flexible power control.To effectively solve the congestion problem,we propose a distributed cross-layer scheduling algorithm,which is empowered by graph-based multi-agent deep reinforcement learning.The transmit power is adaptively adjusted in real-time by our algorithm based only on local information(i.e.,channel state information and queue length)and local communication(i.e.,information exchanged with neighbors).Moreover,the training complexity of the algorithm is low due to the regional cooperation based on the graph attention network.In the evaluation,we show that our algorithm can reduce the transmission delay of data flow under severe signal interference and drastically changing channel states,and demonstrate the adaptability and stability in different topologies.The method is general and can be extended to various types of topologies.展开更多
A design methodology for multi-agent systems is proposed. The systemicframework of CAPP and scheduling integrated multi-agent system according to design methodology isresearched. Agent model, composition model and coo...A design methodology for multi-agent systems is proposed. The systemicframework of CAPP and scheduling integrated multi-agent system according to design methodology isresearched. Agent model, composition model and cooperation model are discussed respectively in themulti-agent system. Static composition model and dynamic running model of CAPP and schedulingintegrated system are presented in composition model. Communication model, language model andprotocol model are discussed in corporation model. CSIMAS, CAPP and scheduling integratedmulti-agent prototype system, is developed to illuminate system model. Multiple non-rotational partsare tested in distributed process planning and scheduling environment of CSIMAS.展开更多
Based on the concept of operation flexibility, we study the relationship among multiple operation sequences and provide a flexibility measure for operation sequences. A criterion is proposed to prioritize each operati...Based on the concept of operation flexibility, we study the relationship among multiple operation sequences and provide a flexibility measure for operation sequences. A criterion is proposed to prioritize each operation (rather than sequence). Under the multi-agent architecture the criterion can be used to guide the decision-making procedure during production scheduling so that there is an adequate flexibility at each decision point. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the criterion when it is used as a scheduling heuristic. It can increase flexibility of manufacturing systems, and consequently improve the performance of the systems.展开更多
In this paper,a bilevel optimization model of an integrated energy operator(IEO)–load aggregator(LA)is constructed to address the coordinate optimization challenge of multiple stakeholder island integrated energy sys...In this paper,a bilevel optimization model of an integrated energy operator(IEO)–load aggregator(LA)is constructed to address the coordinate optimization challenge of multiple stakeholder island integrated energy system(IIES).The upper level represents the integrated energy operator,and the lower level is the electricity-heatgas load aggregator.Owing to the benefit conflict between the upper and lower levels of the IIES,a dynamic pricing mechanism for coordinating the interests of the upper and lower levels is proposed,combined with factors such as the carbon emissions of the IIES,as well as the lower load interruption power.The price of selling energy can be dynamically adjusted to the lower LA in the mechanism,according to the information on carbon emissions and load interruption power.Mutual benefits and win-win situations are achieved between the upper and lower multistakeholders.Finally,CPLEX is used to iteratively solve the bilevel optimization model.The optimal solution is selected according to the joint optimal discrimination mechanism.Thesimulation results indicate that the sourceload coordinate operation can reduce the upper and lower operation costs.Using the proposed pricingmechanism,the carbon emissions and load interruption power of IEO-LA are reduced by 9.78%and 70.19%,respectively,and the capture power of the carbon capture equipment is improved by 36.24%.The validity of the proposed model and method is verified.展开更多
Safe and efficient sortie scheduling on the confined flight deck is crucial for maintaining high combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier.The primary difficulty exactly lies in the spatiotemporal coordination,i.e....Safe and efficient sortie scheduling on the confined flight deck is crucial for maintaining high combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier.The primary difficulty exactly lies in the spatiotemporal coordination,i.e.,allocation of limited supporting resources and collision-avoidance between heterogeneous dispatch entities.In this paper,the problem is investigated in the perspective of hybrid flow-shop scheduling problem by synthesizing the precedence,space and resource constraints.Specifically,eight processing procedures are abstracted,where tractors,preparing spots,catapults,and launching are virtualized as machines.By analyzing the constraints in sortie scheduling,a mixed-integer planning model is constructed.In particular,the constraint on preparing spot occupancy is improved to further enhance the sortie efficiency.The basic trajectory library for each dispatch entity is generated and a delayed strategy is integrated to address the collision-avoidance issue.To efficiently solve the formulated HFSP,which is essentially a combinatorial problem with tightly coupled constraints,a chaos-initialized genetic algorithm is developed.The solution framework is validated by the simulation environment referring to the Fort-class carrier,exhibiting higher sortie efficiency when compared to existing strategies.And animation of the simulation results is available at www.bilibili.com/video/BV14t421A7Tt/.The study presents a promising supporting technique for autonomous flight deck operation in the foreseeable future,and can be easily extended to other supporting scenarios,e.g.,ammunition delivery and aircraft maintenance.展开更多
Cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL)is a key technology for enabling cooperation in complex multi-agent systems.It has achieved remarkable progress in areas such as gaming,autonomous driving,and multi-...Cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL)is a key technology for enabling cooperation in complex multi-agent systems.It has achieved remarkable progress in areas such as gaming,autonomous driving,and multi-robot control.Empowering cooperative MARL with multi-task decision-making capabilities is expected to further broaden its application scope.In multi-task scenarios,cooperative MARL algorithms need to address 3 types of multi-task problems:reward-related multi-task,arising from different reward functions;multi-domain multi-task,caused by differences in state and action spaces,state transition functions;and scalability-related multi-task,resulting from the dynamic variation in the number of agents.Most existing studies focus on scalability-related multitask problems.However,with the increasing integration between large language models(LLMs)and multi-agent systems,a growing number of LLM-based multi-agent systems have emerged,enabling more complex multi-task cooperation.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest advances in this field.By combining multi-task reinforcement learning with cooperative MARL,we categorize and analyze the 3 major types of multi-task problems under multi-agent settings,offering more fine-grained classifications and summarizing key insights for each.In addition,we summarize commonly used benchmarks and discuss future directions of research in this area,which hold promise for further enhancing the multi-task cooperation capabilities of multi-agent systems and expanding their practical applications in the real world.展开更多
This paper addresses the consensus problem of nonlinear multi-agent systems subject to external disturbances and uncertainties under denial-ofservice(DoS)attacks.Firstly,an observer-based state feedback control method...This paper addresses the consensus problem of nonlinear multi-agent systems subject to external disturbances and uncertainties under denial-ofservice(DoS)attacks.Firstly,an observer-based state feedback control method is employed to achieve secure control by estimating the system's state in real time.Secondly,by combining a memory-based adaptive eventtriggered mechanism with neural networks,the paper aims to approximate the nonlinear terms in the networked system and efficiently conserve system resources.Finally,based on a two-degree-of-freedom model of a vehicle affected by crosswinds,this paper constructs a multi-unmanned ground vehicle(Multi-UGV)system to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can effectively handle external disturbances such as crosswinds in practical applications,ensuring the stability and reliable operation of the Multi-UGV system.展开更多
The rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 has revolutionized manufacturing,shifting production from centralized control to decentralized,intelligent systems.Smart factories are now expected to achieve high adaptability an...The rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 has revolutionized manufacturing,shifting production from centralized control to decentralized,intelligent systems.Smart factories are now expected to achieve high adaptability and resource efficiency,particularly in mass customization scenarios where production schedules must accommodate dynamic and personalized demands.To address the challenges of dynamic task allocation,uncertainty,and realtime decision-making,this paper proposes Pathfinder,a deep reinforcement learning-based scheduling framework.Pathfinder models scheduling data through three key matrices:execution time(the time required for a job to complete),completion time(the actual time at which a job is finished),and efficiency(the performance of executing a single job).By leveraging neural networks,Pathfinder extracts essential features from these matrices,enabling intelligent decision-making in dynamic production environments.Unlike traditional approaches with fixed scheduling rules,Pathfinder dynamically selects from ten diverse scheduling rules,optimizing decisions based on real-time environmental conditions.To further enhance scheduling efficiency,a specialized reward function is designed to support dynamic task allocation and real-time adjustments.This function helps Pathfinder continuously refine its scheduling strategy,improving machine utilization and minimizing job completion times.Through reinforcement learning,Pathfinder adapts to evolving production demands,ensuring robust performance in real-world applications.Experimental results demonstrate that Pathfinder outperforms traditional scheduling approaches,offering improved coordination and efficiency in smart factories.By integrating deep reinforcement learning,adaptable scheduling strategies,and an innovative reward function,Pathfinder provides an effective solution to the growing challenges of multi-robot job scheduling in mass customization environments.展开更多
As one of the most classical scheduling problems,flexible job shop scheduling problems(FJSP)find widespread applications in modern intelligent manufacturing systems.However,the majority of meta-heuristic methods for s...As one of the most classical scheduling problems,flexible job shop scheduling problems(FJSP)find widespread applications in modern intelligent manufacturing systems.However,the majority of meta-heuristic methods for solving FJSP in the literature are population-based evolutionary algorithms,which are complex and time-consuming.In this paper,we propose a fast effective singlesolution based local search algorithm with an innovative adaptive weighting-based local search(AWLS)technique for solving FJSP.The adaptive weighting technique assigns weights to each operation and adaptively updates them during the exploration.AWLS integrates a Tabu Search strategy and the adaptive weighting technique to smooth the landscape of the search space and enhance the exploration diversity.Computational experiments on 313 well-known benchmark instances demonstrate that AWLS is highly competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of both solution quality and computational efficiency,despite of its simplicity.Specifically,AWLS improves the previous best-known results in the literature on 33 instances and match the best-known results on the remaining ones except for only one under the same time limit of up to 300 s.As a strongly non-deterministic polynomia(NP)-hard problem which has been extensively studied for nearly half a century,breaking the records on these classic instances is an arduous task.Nevertheless,AWLS establishes new records on 8 challenging instances whose previous best records were established by a state-of-the-art meta-heuristic algorithm and a famous industrial solver.展开更多
Ship outfitting is a key process in shipbuilding.Efficient and high-quality ship outfitting is a top priority for modern shipyards.These activities are conducted at different stations of shipyards.The outfitting plan ...Ship outfitting is a key process in shipbuilding.Efficient and high-quality ship outfitting is a top priority for modern shipyards.These activities are conducted at different stations of shipyards.The outfitting plan is one of the crucial issues in shipbuilding.In this paper,production scheduling and material ordering with endogenous uncertainty of the outfitting process are investigated.The uncertain factors in outfitting equipment production are usually decision-related,which leads to difficulties in addressing uncertainties in the outfitting production workshops before production is conducted according to plan.This uncertainty is regarded as endogenous uncertainty and can be treated as non-anticipativity constraints in the model.To address this problem,a stochastic two-stage programming model with endogenous uncertainty is established to optimize the outfitting job scheduling and raw material ordering process.A practical case of the shipyard of China Merchants Heavy Industry Co.,Ltd.is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.Satisfactory results are achieved at the lowest expected total cost as the complete kit rate of outfitting equipment is improved and emergency replenishment is reduced.展开更多
This paper investigates the challenges associated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) collaborative search and target tracking in dynamic and unknown environments characterized by limited field of view. The primary obj...This paper investigates the challenges associated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) collaborative search and target tracking in dynamic and unknown environments characterized by limited field of view. The primary objective is to explore the unknown environments to locate and track targets effectively. To address this problem, we propose a novel Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) method based on Graph Neural Network (GNN). Firstly, a method is introduced for encoding continuous-space multi-UAV problem data into spatial graphs which establish essential relationships among agents, obstacles, and targets. Secondly, a Graph AttenTion network (GAT) model is presented, which focuses exclusively on adjacent nodes, learns attention weights adaptively and allows agents to better process information in dynamic environments. Reward functions are specifically designed to tackle exploration challenges in environments with sparse rewards. By introducing a framework that integrates centralized training and distributed execution, the advancement of models is facilitated. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the existing MARL method in search rate and tracking performance with less collisions. The experiments show that the proposed method can be extended to applications with a larger number of agents, which provides a potential solution to the challenging problem of multi-UAV autonomous tracking in dynamic unknown environments.展开更多
Aimed to address the multi-objective scheduling problem in printing workshops,a hybrid optimization algorithm combining Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO),Genetic Algorithm(GA),and Simulated Annealing(SA)was by proposed...Aimed to address the multi-objective scheduling problem in printing workshops,a hybrid optimization algorithm combining Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO),Genetic Algorithm(GA),and Simulated Annealing(SA)was by proposed which called PGA-PSO-SA(Parallel Genetic Algorithm-Particle Swarm Optimization-Simulated Annealing).Firstly,PSO algorithm was used for global search to quickly find the initial solution.Then,GA optimization selection and crossover operations were used to enhance population diversity.Then,SA algorithm was employed for local search to further improve the solution quality.Experimental results showed that this method achieves better results in terms of job completion time,energy consumption,and machine load distribution.Compared to single algorithms,PGA-PSO-SA hybrid algorithm can more effectively find the global optimal solution,enhancing the overall performance of the scheduling scheme.The research results provides new ideas and methods for scheduling optimization in printing workshops.展开更多
With the increasing integration of large-scale distributed energy resources into the grid,traditional distribution network optimization and dispatch methods struggle to address the challenges posed by both generation ...With the increasing integration of large-scale distributed energy resources into the grid,traditional distribution network optimization and dispatch methods struggle to address the challenges posed by both generation and load.Accounting for these issues,this paper proposes a multi-timescale coordinated optimization dispatch method for distribution networks.First,the probability box theory was employed to determine the uncertainty intervals of generation and load forecasts,based on which,the requirements for flexibility dispatch and capacity constraints of the grid were calculated and analyzed.Subsequently,a multi-timescale optimization framework was constructed,incorporating the generation and load forecast uncertainties.This framework included optimization models for dayahead scheduling,intra-day optimization,and real-time adjustments,aiming to meet flexibility needs across different timescales and improve the economic efficiency of the grid.Furthermore,an improved soft actor-critic algorithm was introduced to enhance the uncertainty exploration capability.Utilizing a centralized training and decentralized execution framework,a multi-agent SAC network model was developed to improve the decision-making efficiency of the agents.Finally,the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method were validated using a modified IEEE-33 bus test system.展开更多
文摘Aiming at the flexible manufacturing system with multi-machining and multi-assembly equipment, a new scheduling algorithm is proposed to decompose the assembly structure of the products, thus obtaining simple scheduling problems and forming the cOrrespOnding agents. Then, the importance and the restriction of each agent are cOnsidered, to obtain an order of simple scheduling problems based on the cooperation game theory. With this order, the scheduling of sub-questions is implemented in term of rules, and the almost optimal scheduling results for meeting the restriction can be obtained. Experimental results verify the effectiveness of the proposed scheduling algorithm.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.11271338 and 71301038)the National Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province(No.15IRTSTHN006).
文摘We study the computational complexities of three problems on multi-agent scheduling on a single machine.Among the three problems,the computational complexities of the first two problems were still open and the last problem was shown to be unary NP-hard in the literature.We show in this paper that the first two problems are unary NP-hard.We also show that the unary NP-hardness proof for the last problem in the literature is invalid,and so,the exact complexity of the problem is still open.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.52475543)Natural Science Foundation of Henan(Grant No.252300421101)+1 种基金Henan Province University Science and Technology Innovation Talent Support Plan(Grant No.24HASTIT048)Science and Technology Innovation Team Project of Zhengzhou University of Light Industry(Grant No.23XNKJTD0101).
文摘Aircraft assembly is characterized by stringent precedence constraints,limited resource availability,spatial restrictions,and a high degree of manual intervention.These factors lead to considerable variability in operator workloads and significantly increase the complexity of scheduling.To address this challenge,this study investigates the Aircraft Pulsating Assembly Line Scheduling Problem(APALSP)under skilled operator allocation,with the objective of minimizing assembly completion time.A mathematical model considering skilled operator allocation is developed,and a Q-Learning improved Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm(QLPSO)is proposed.In the algorithm design,a reverse scheduling strategy is adopted to effectively manage large-scale precedence constraints.Moreover,a reverse sequence encoding method is introduced to generate operation sequences,while a time decoding mechanism is employed to determine completion times.The problem is further reformulated as a Markov Decision Process(MDP)with explicitly defined state and action spaces.Within QLPSO,the Q-learning mechanism adaptively adjusts inertia weights and learning factors,thereby achieving a balance between exploration capability and convergence performance.To validate the effectiveness of the proposed approach,extensive computational experiments are conducted on benchmark instances of different scales,including small,medium,large,and ultra-large cases.The results demonstrate that QLPSO consistently delivers stable and high-quality solutions across all scenarios.In ultra-large-scale instances,it improves the best solution by 25.2%compared with the Genetic Algorithm(GA)and enhances the average solution by 16.9%over the Q-learning algorithm,showing clear advantages over the comparative methods.These findings not only confirm the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm but also provide valuable theoretical references and practical guidance for the intelligent scheduling optimization of aircraft pulsating assembly lines.
基金Supported by the Zhejiang Province Science Foundation of China(M703022)
文摘In this paper,the multi-agent model about shop logistics is set up.This model has 8 agents:raw materials stock agent,process agent,testing agent,transition agent,production information agent,scheduling agent,process agent and stock agent.The scheduling agent has three subagents:manager agent(MA),resource agent(RA)and part agent(PA).MA,PA and RA are communicating equally that guarantees agility of the whole MAS system.The part tasks pass between MA,RA and PA as an integer,which can guarantee the consistency of the data.We use a detailed example about shop logistics scheduling in a semiconductor company to explain the principle.In this example,we use two scheduling strategies:FCFS and SPT.The result data indicates that the average flow time and lingering ratio are changed using different strategy.It is proves that the multi-agent scheduling is useful.
基金National Natural Science Foundations of China(No. 61273035,No. 71071115)National High-Tech R&D Program for CIMS,China(No. 2009AA043000)
文摘Overhead-hoist-transporters (OHTs) have become the most appropriate tools to transport wafer lots between inter-bay and intra-bay in united layouts of automated material handling systems (AMHSs) in 300 mm semiconductor wafer fabrications. To obtain a conflict-free scheduling solution, an intelligent multi-agent-based control system framework was built to support the AMHSs. And corresponding algorithms and rules were proposed to implement cooperation among agents. On the basis of the mentioned above, a time-constraint-based heuristic scheduling algorithm was presented to support the routing decision agent in searching the conflict-free shortest path. In the construction of the algorithm, the conflicted intervals of the k-shortest-route were identified with the time window theory. The most available path was chosen with an objective of the minimum completion time. The back tracking method was combined to finish the routing scheduling. Finally, experiments of the proposed method were simulated. The results show that the multi-agent framework is suitable and the proposed scheduling algorithm is feasible and valid.
文摘The resource constrained project scheduling problem (RCPSP) and a decision-making model based on multi-agent systems (MAS) and general equilibrium marketing are proposed. An algorithm leading to the resource allocation decision involved in RCPSP has also been developed. And this algorithm can be used in the multi-project scheduling field as well.Finally, an illustration is given.
基金supported by Institute of Information & communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) grant funded by the Korea government(MSIT) (No.RS-2022-00155885, Artificial Intelligence Convergence Innovation Human Resources Development (Hanyang University ERICA))supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No. 61971264the National Natural Science Foundation of China/Research Grants Council Collaborative Research Scheme under Grant No. 62261160390
文摘Due to the fading characteristics of wireless channels and the burstiness of data traffic,how to deal with congestion in Ad-hoc networks with effective algorithms is still open and challenging.In this paper,we focus on enabling congestion control to minimize network transmission delays through flexible power control.To effectively solve the congestion problem,we propose a distributed cross-layer scheduling algorithm,which is empowered by graph-based multi-agent deep reinforcement learning.The transmit power is adaptively adjusted in real-time by our algorithm based only on local information(i.e.,channel state information and queue length)and local communication(i.e.,information exchanged with neighbors).Moreover,the training complexity of the algorithm is low due to the regional cooperation based on the graph attention network.In the evaluation,we show that our algorithm can reduce the transmission delay of data flow under severe signal interference and drastically changing channel states,and demonstrate the adaptability and stability in different topologies.The method is general and can be extended to various types of topologies.
文摘A design methodology for multi-agent systems is proposed. The systemicframework of CAPP and scheduling integrated multi-agent system according to design methodology isresearched. Agent model, composition model and cooperation model are discussed respectively in themulti-agent system. Static composition model and dynamic running model of CAPP and schedulingintegrated system are presented in composition model. Communication model, language model andprotocol model are discussed in corporation model. CSIMAS, CAPP and scheduling integratedmulti-agent prototype system, is developed to illuminate system model. Multiple non-rotational partsare tested in distributed process planning and scheduling environment of CSIMAS.
基金This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.59990470) the Outstanding Youth Foundation of China(Grant No.59725514)
文摘Based on the concept of operation flexibility, we study the relationship among multiple operation sequences and provide a flexibility measure for operation sequences. A criterion is proposed to prioritize each operation (rather than sequence). Under the multi-agent architecture the criterion can be used to guide the decision-making procedure during production scheduling so that there is an adequate flexibility at each decision point. Experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the criterion when it is used as a scheduling heuristic. It can increase flexibility of manufacturing systems, and consequently improve the performance of the systems.
基金supported by the Central Government Guides Local Science and Technology Development Fund Project(2023ZY0020)Key R&D and Achievement Transformation Project in InnerMongolia Autonomous Region(2022YFHH0019)+3 种基金the Fundamental Research Funds for Inner Mongolia University of Science&Technology(2022053)Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia(2022LHQN05002)National Natural Science Foundation of China(52067018)Metallurgical Engineering First-Class Discipline Construction Project in Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology,Control Science and Engineering Quality Improvement and Cultivation Discipline Project in Inner Mongolia University of Science and Technology。
文摘In this paper,a bilevel optimization model of an integrated energy operator(IEO)–load aggregator(LA)is constructed to address the coordinate optimization challenge of multiple stakeholder island integrated energy system(IIES).The upper level represents the integrated energy operator,and the lower level is the electricity-heatgas load aggregator.Owing to the benefit conflict between the upper and lower levels of the IIES,a dynamic pricing mechanism for coordinating the interests of the upper and lower levels is proposed,combined with factors such as the carbon emissions of the IIES,as well as the lower load interruption power.The price of selling energy can be dynamically adjusted to the lower LA in the mechanism,according to the information on carbon emissions and load interruption power.Mutual benefits and win-win situations are achieved between the upper and lower multistakeholders.Finally,CPLEX is used to iteratively solve the bilevel optimization model.The optimal solution is selected according to the joint optimal discrimination mechanism.Thesimulation results indicate that the sourceload coordinate operation can reduce the upper and lower operation costs.Using the proposed pricingmechanism,the carbon emissions and load interruption power of IEO-LA are reduced by 9.78%and 70.19%,respectively,and the capture power of the carbon capture equipment is improved by 36.24%.The validity of the proposed model and method is verified.
基金the financial support of the National Key Research and Development Plan(2021YFB3302501)the financial support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China(12102077)。
文摘Safe and efficient sortie scheduling on the confined flight deck is crucial for maintaining high combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier.The primary difficulty exactly lies in the spatiotemporal coordination,i.e.,allocation of limited supporting resources and collision-avoidance between heterogeneous dispatch entities.In this paper,the problem is investigated in the perspective of hybrid flow-shop scheduling problem by synthesizing the precedence,space and resource constraints.Specifically,eight processing procedures are abstracted,where tractors,preparing spots,catapults,and launching are virtualized as machines.By analyzing the constraints in sortie scheduling,a mixed-integer planning model is constructed.In particular,the constraint on preparing spot occupancy is improved to further enhance the sortie efficiency.The basic trajectory library for each dispatch entity is generated and a delayed strategy is integrated to address the collision-avoidance issue.To efficiently solve the formulated HFSP,which is essentially a combinatorial problem with tightly coupled constraints,a chaos-initialized genetic algorithm is developed.The solution framework is validated by the simulation environment referring to the Fort-class carrier,exhibiting higher sortie efficiency when compared to existing strategies.And animation of the simulation results is available at www.bilibili.com/video/BV14t421A7Tt/.The study presents a promising supporting technique for autonomous flight deck operation in the foreseeable future,and can be easily extended to other supporting scenarios,e.g.,ammunition delivery and aircraft maintenance.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(62136008,62293541)The Beijing Natural Science Foundation(4232056)The Beijing Nova Program(20240484514).
文摘Cooperative multi-agent reinforcement learning(MARL)is a key technology for enabling cooperation in complex multi-agent systems.It has achieved remarkable progress in areas such as gaming,autonomous driving,and multi-robot control.Empowering cooperative MARL with multi-task decision-making capabilities is expected to further broaden its application scope.In multi-task scenarios,cooperative MARL algorithms need to address 3 types of multi-task problems:reward-related multi-task,arising from different reward functions;multi-domain multi-task,caused by differences in state and action spaces,state transition functions;and scalability-related multi-task,resulting from the dynamic variation in the number of agents.Most existing studies focus on scalability-related multitask problems.However,with the increasing integration between large language models(LLMs)and multi-agent systems,a growing number of LLM-based multi-agent systems have emerged,enabling more complex multi-task cooperation.This paper provides a comprehensive review of the latest advances in this field.By combining multi-task reinforcement learning with cooperative MARL,we categorize and analyze the 3 major types of multi-task problems under multi-agent settings,offering more fine-grained classifications and summarizing key insights for each.In addition,we summarize commonly used benchmarks and discuss future directions of research in this area,which hold promise for further enhancing the multi-task cooperation capabilities of multi-agent systems and expanding their practical applications in the real world.
基金The National Natural Science Foundation of China(W2431048)The Science and Technology Research Program of Chongqing Municipal Education Commission,China(KJZDK202300807)The Chongqing Natural Science Foundation,China(CSTB2024NSCQQCXMX0052).
文摘This paper addresses the consensus problem of nonlinear multi-agent systems subject to external disturbances and uncertainties under denial-ofservice(DoS)attacks.Firstly,an observer-based state feedback control method is employed to achieve secure control by estimating the system's state in real time.Secondly,by combining a memory-based adaptive eventtriggered mechanism with neural networks,the paper aims to approximate the nonlinear terms in the networked system and efficiently conserve system resources.Finally,based on a two-degree-of-freedom model of a vehicle affected by crosswinds,this paper constructs a multi-unmanned ground vehicle(Multi-UGV)system to validate the effectiveness of the proposed method.Simulation results show that the proposed control strategy can effectively handle external disturbances such as crosswinds in practical applications,ensuring the stability and reliable operation of the Multi-UGV system.
基金supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant No.62372110Fujian Provincial Natural Science of Foundation under Grants 2023J02008,2024H0009.
文摘The rapid advancement of Industry 4.0 has revolutionized manufacturing,shifting production from centralized control to decentralized,intelligent systems.Smart factories are now expected to achieve high adaptability and resource efficiency,particularly in mass customization scenarios where production schedules must accommodate dynamic and personalized demands.To address the challenges of dynamic task allocation,uncertainty,and realtime decision-making,this paper proposes Pathfinder,a deep reinforcement learning-based scheduling framework.Pathfinder models scheduling data through three key matrices:execution time(the time required for a job to complete),completion time(the actual time at which a job is finished),and efficiency(the performance of executing a single job).By leveraging neural networks,Pathfinder extracts essential features from these matrices,enabling intelligent decision-making in dynamic production environments.Unlike traditional approaches with fixed scheduling rules,Pathfinder dynamically selects from ten diverse scheduling rules,optimizing decisions based on real-time environmental conditions.To further enhance scheduling efficiency,a specialized reward function is designed to support dynamic task allocation and real-time adjustments.This function helps Pathfinder continuously refine its scheduling strategy,improving machine utilization and minimizing job completion times.Through reinforcement learning,Pathfinder adapts to evolving production demands,ensuring robust performance in real-world applications.Experimental results demonstrate that Pathfinder outperforms traditional scheduling approaches,offering improved coordination and efficiency in smart factories.By integrating deep reinforcement learning,adaptable scheduling strategies,and an innovative reward function,Pathfinder provides an effective solution to the growing challenges of multi-robot job scheduling in mass customization environments.
基金supported in part by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(62202192 and 72101094)the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars of China(51825502).
文摘As one of the most classical scheduling problems,flexible job shop scheduling problems(FJSP)find widespread applications in modern intelligent manufacturing systems.However,the majority of meta-heuristic methods for solving FJSP in the literature are population-based evolutionary algorithms,which are complex and time-consuming.In this paper,we propose a fast effective singlesolution based local search algorithm with an innovative adaptive weighting-based local search(AWLS)technique for solving FJSP.The adaptive weighting technique assigns weights to each operation and adaptively updates them during the exploration.AWLS integrates a Tabu Search strategy and the adaptive weighting technique to smooth the landscape of the search space and enhance the exploration diversity.Computational experiments on 313 well-known benchmark instances demonstrate that AWLS is highly competitive with state-of-the-art algorithms in terms of both solution quality and computational efficiency,despite of its simplicity.Specifically,AWLS improves the previous best-known results in the literature on 33 instances and match the best-known results on the remaining ones except for only one under the same time limit of up to 300 s.As a strongly non-deterministic polynomia(NP)-hard problem which has been extensively studied for nearly half a century,breaking the records on these classic instances is an arduous task.Nevertheless,AWLS establishes new records on 8 challenging instances whose previous best records were established by a state-of-the-art meta-heuristic algorithm and a famous industrial solver.
基金supported in part by the High-tech ship scientific research project of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People’s Republic of China,and the National Nature Science Foundation of China(Grant No.71671113)the Science and Technology Department of Shaanxi Province(No.2020GY-219)the Ministry of Education Collaborative Project of Production,Learning and Research(No.201901024016).
文摘Ship outfitting is a key process in shipbuilding.Efficient and high-quality ship outfitting is a top priority for modern shipyards.These activities are conducted at different stations of shipyards.The outfitting plan is one of the crucial issues in shipbuilding.In this paper,production scheduling and material ordering with endogenous uncertainty of the outfitting process are investigated.The uncertain factors in outfitting equipment production are usually decision-related,which leads to difficulties in addressing uncertainties in the outfitting production workshops before production is conducted according to plan.This uncertainty is regarded as endogenous uncertainty and can be treated as non-anticipativity constraints in the model.To address this problem,a stochastic two-stage programming model with endogenous uncertainty is established to optimize the outfitting job scheduling and raw material ordering process.A practical case of the shipyard of China Merchants Heavy Industry Co.,Ltd.is used to evaluate the performance of the proposed method.Satisfactory results are achieved at the lowest expected total cost as the complete kit rate of outfitting equipment is improved and emergency replenishment is reduced.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.12272104,U22B2013).
文摘This paper investigates the challenges associated with Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) collaborative search and target tracking in dynamic and unknown environments characterized by limited field of view. The primary objective is to explore the unknown environments to locate and track targets effectively. To address this problem, we propose a novel Multi-Agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) method based on Graph Neural Network (GNN). Firstly, a method is introduced for encoding continuous-space multi-UAV problem data into spatial graphs which establish essential relationships among agents, obstacles, and targets. Secondly, a Graph AttenTion network (GAT) model is presented, which focuses exclusively on adjacent nodes, learns attention weights adaptively and allows agents to better process information in dynamic environments. Reward functions are specifically designed to tackle exploration challenges in environments with sparse rewards. By introducing a framework that integrates centralized training and distributed execution, the advancement of models is facilitated. Simulation results show that the proposed method outperforms the existing MARL method in search rate and tracking performance with less collisions. The experiments show that the proposed method can be extended to applications with a larger number of agents, which provides a potential solution to the challenging problem of multi-UAV autonomous tracking in dynamic unknown environments.
文摘Aimed to address the multi-objective scheduling problem in printing workshops,a hybrid optimization algorithm combining Particle Swarm Optimization(PSO),Genetic Algorithm(GA),and Simulated Annealing(SA)was by proposed which called PGA-PSO-SA(Parallel Genetic Algorithm-Particle Swarm Optimization-Simulated Annealing).Firstly,PSO algorithm was used for global search to quickly find the initial solution.Then,GA optimization selection and crossover operations were used to enhance population diversity.Then,SA algorithm was employed for local search to further improve the solution quality.Experimental results showed that this method achieves better results in terms of job completion time,energy consumption,and machine load distribution.Compared to single algorithms,PGA-PSO-SA hybrid algorithm can more effectively find the global optimal solution,enhancing the overall performance of the scheduling scheme.The research results provides new ideas and methods for scheduling optimization in printing workshops.
基金funded by Jilin Province Science and Technology Development Plan Project,grant number 20220203163SF.
文摘With the increasing integration of large-scale distributed energy resources into the grid,traditional distribution network optimization and dispatch methods struggle to address the challenges posed by both generation and load.Accounting for these issues,this paper proposes a multi-timescale coordinated optimization dispatch method for distribution networks.First,the probability box theory was employed to determine the uncertainty intervals of generation and load forecasts,based on which,the requirements for flexibility dispatch and capacity constraints of the grid were calculated and analyzed.Subsequently,a multi-timescale optimization framework was constructed,incorporating the generation and load forecast uncertainties.This framework included optimization models for dayahead scheduling,intra-day optimization,and real-time adjustments,aiming to meet flexibility needs across different timescales and improve the economic efficiency of the grid.Furthermore,an improved soft actor-critic algorithm was introduced to enhance the uncertainty exploration capability.Utilizing a centralized training and decentralized execution framework,a multi-agent SAC network model was developed to improve the decision-making efficiency of the agents.Finally,the effectiveness and superiority of the proposed method were validated using a modified IEEE-33 bus test system.
