A Cognitive Approach to Real-time Rescheduling using SOAR-RL

TL;DR

This paper presents a novel real-time rescheduling approach that integrates cognitive capabilities using the SOAR architecture to enhance flexibility and adaptability in manufacturing systems.

Contribution

It introduces a new method combining cognitive architectures with rescheduling, enabling autonomous, experience-driven responses in dynamic production environments.

Findings

SOAR-based system responds autonomously to events

System improves flexibility and adaptability

Effective in simulation for repair tasks

Abstract

Ensuring flexible and efficient manufacturing of customized products in an increasing dynamic and turbulent environment without sacrificing cost effectiveness, product quality and on-time delivery has become a key issue for most industrial enterprises. A promising approach to cope with this challenge is the integration of cognitive capabilities in systems and processes with the aim of expanding the knowledge base used to perform managerial and operational tasks. In this work, a novel approach to real-time rescheduling is proposed in order to achieve sustainable improvements in flexibility and adaptability of production systems through the integration of artificial cognitive capabilities, involving perception, reasoning/learning and planning skills. Moreover, an industrial example is discussed where the SOAR cognitive architecture capabilities are integrated in a software prototype, showing that the approach enables the rescheduling system to respond to events in an autonomic way, and to acquire experience through intensive simulation while performing repair tasks.