How to customize Barrier in A* network to allow for multi direct

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question

hikel asked Jan 23 2025 at 6:43 PM hikel edited Feb 05 2025 at 8:36 PM

How to customize Barrier in A* network to allow for multi direct

I am trying to create a rule for controlling forklift traffic in a warehouse aisle.

The aisle is unidirectional by default but can temporarily allow two-way traffic under certain conditions. Specifically, I want to implement the following logic:

When there are no forklifts in the aisle, it can become two-directional to allow a forklift to enter from the opposite direction. like number 2 above
Once a second forklift enters the aisle, it should revert to being unidirectional again to avoid congestion or deadlock with two way. like number 1 above
Here is another example answer by @Jason Lightfoot but this one is using time which is not the case here. @Felix Möhlmann do you have suggestion or solution to this problem. Thank you!

Here is my model loading-1.fsm

Software Version:

FlexSim 24.2.2

warehouse a star navigation taskexecutors barriers

1737657475800.png (446.4 KiB)

loading-1.fsm (104.1 KiB)

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Answer 1 · 2025-01-24T11:25:55Z

Felix Möhlmann answered Jan 24 2025 at 11:25 AM hikel edited Feb 05 2025 at 8:36 PM

You could use the same logic I utilize in the article I just posted to let turning cars wait for oncoming traffic. A control area is placed over the aisle. When a request is made, the logic determines in which direction the transporter wants to travel based on its current position. If the area is empty or currently in the correct 'mode', the transporter can enter. Otherwise it has to wait until the area becomes empty.

For this to work properly, you have to make sure that the transporters never turn around inside the aisle and that they leave enough space for other transporters to exit while waiting to be allowed to enter. In the attached model I force them to drive a small loop at the end of the aisle to achieve this.

loading-2.fsm

loading-2.fsm (116.9 KiB)

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hikel commented · Jan 27 2025 at 4:45 AM

Thank you @Felix Möhlmann for your answer. I am going trough the code right now. Interesting model you did post! your approach is definitely going to work if only all pick are in the same Aisle which not the case for mine. The picks always start from the beginning of the Aisle I am doing that by pulling

so we always start picking from the beginning of the Aisle. once it finish the available parts in Aisle 1

If it is done it can go to unload either option 2 if no one is in the Aisle, and if there is one it will take option 3 normally.
If the pick if not done the forklift need to picks from Aisle 2 as well after finishing picking parts from Aisle 1 it will do the same thing which is option 2 if no one is in the Aisle and start picking from start point blue. and if there is one it will take option 3 normally.

For the Travel location do I need to change X location depends on each Aisle or there an easy way to do that?

Here is the example model loading-2.fsm

0 ·

1737952527332.png (324.7 KiB)

1737952560480.png (133.7 KiB)

1737952941208.png (86.1 KiB)

loading-2.fsm (118.0 KiB)

Felix Möhlmann hikel commented · Jan 27 2025 at 2:39 PM

You can of course check the "Mode" of the area outside the request event. After the transporter leaves the aisle, check if it can travel back through it (correct mode or no mode set). If not, send it around the long way by either utilizing an extra travel task to a waypoint to force it to use the long path. Or place a barrier/object in the aisle that you only activate while the transporter is calculating its path.

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hikel Felix Möhlmann commented · Jan 28 2025 at 8:42 PM

@Felix Möhlmann Now it is working properly when I have 2 transporters in Aisle but when I am adding 3 transporters is not working. at time 76 you can see the transporters 3 when there transporter 2 behind it goes to the end of Aisle. but middle transporters 2 goes toward transporter 1 which is not correct bs it is behind. is there a way to logic to work this way. once transporters 2 finish from Aisle 1 it should go like transporter 3 (end of Aisle) always while picking. here is the model loading-2.fsm

and for Travel location I using look up using global table it worked, but if there is a way an easy to way to do such as knowing Aisle from storage

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1738096460331.png (165.6 KiB)

1738096753668.png (110.7 KiB)

1738096773701.png (12.4 KiB)

loading-2.fsm (123.3 KiB)

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