The author addresses the control of traffic when there are large numbers of automatic guided vehicles (AGVs) in a factory. Several possible policies for managing AGVs to minimize the impact of traffic jams were analyzed. In a grid-iron network of roads, it is shown that traffic contention can have a large effect on the collective performance of AGVs. It is shown that a particular traffic policy permits the AGVs to be autonomous and independent while avoiding deadlocks. This policy is shown to be close to optimal, even for large numbers of vehicles. It is also shown under what conditions it is beneficial to modify the factory to have highways and superhighways.>

Manipulator programs in a high-level language consist of manipulation procedures and object model declarations. As higher level languages are developed, the procedures will shrink while the declarations will grow. This trend makes it desirable to develop means for automating the generation of these declarations. A system is proposed which would permit users to specify certain object models interactively, using the manipulator itself as a measuring tool in three dimensions. A preliminary version of the system has been tested.

This paper describes the software and hardware architecture of a system designed as a research tool for experiments on programming the computer controlled assembly of mechanical objects. The software consists of a real-time control level and a background level in which an on-line interpreter permits interactive programming. The hardware consists of a manipulator with sensory feedback coupled to an IBM System/7. Additional facilities are available through a link to an IBM System/370 Model 145. The application of the system to sample assemblies is also discussed.

In order to assemble mechanical parts which are initially disordered, a computer-controlled manipulator needs some procedure for orienting these parts. An apparatus is described which assists the manipulator in performing this function. The device is a dihedrally tipped open box attached to a vibrator. When placed in the box, a typical mechanical part assumes one of a small finite number of possible orientations. Once the particular orientation is established, the manipulator shifts the part into the desired orientation.

The problem considered is how to place records on a secondary storage device to minimize average retrieval time, based on a knowledge of the probability for accessing the records. Theorems are presented for two limiting cases. A numerical example for an intermediate case is also given.