Fraunhofer Institute for Material Flow and Logistics IMLDeveloper Training for Applying openTCS as an AGV Control System
With openTCS, there is a free and open-source software that allows managing and controlling fleets of automatic vehicles for the processing of transportation tasks. The openTCS development team at Fraunhofer IML applies this software in various projects for research purposes as well as productive use in industrial environments.
To allow companies to efficiently make use of openTCS, adapt it and also independently develop solutions based on openTCS, Fraunhofer IML offers multi-day trainings for (Java) developers, which can take place either with the respective company or with Fraunhofer IML in Dortmund.
The topics covered in such a training can be defined according to individual requirements, but usually include the following ones:
- Introduction/Overview
- Baseline API and project dependencies
- Vehicle driver and communication interface to vehicle
- Kernel components
- Strategies: Order dispatching, routing and traffic management
- Interfaces to peripheral systems (e.g. WMS/ERP/MES)
- Plant models
- Graphical user interfaces
- Efficiently managing openTCS integration projects
The proportions of theoretical transfer of knowledge and practical application during the training also depend on the participants’ requirements. Concrete questions, e.g. about integrating openTCS with specific vehicles available in the company, can also be discussed.
Depending on the topics covered as well as the participants’ experience in relevant fields like AGVs, software engineering in general and the Java platform, the training usually takes between three and five days.