AGV path planning and task scheduling based on improved proximal policy optimization algorithm

Automated Guided Vehicle(AGV)is a type of automated material handling equipment with high flexibility and adaptability.The current research on optimal path and scheduling algorithms for AGVs still faces problems such as poor generalization,low convergence efficiency,and long routing time.Therefore,an improved Proximal Policy Optimization(PPO)algorithm was proposed.By adapting a multi-step action selection strategy to increase the step length of AGV movement,the AGV action set was expanded from the original 4 directions by 8 directions for optimizing the optimal path.The dynamic reward function was improved to adjust the reward value in real time based on the current state of AGV for enhancing its learning ability.Then,the reward value curves were compared based on different improvement methods to validate the convergence efficiency of the algorithm and the distance of the optimal path.Finally,by employing a continuous task scheduling optimization algorithm,a novel single AGV continuous task scheduling optimization algorithm had been developed to enhance transportation efficiency.The results showed that the improved algorithm shortened the optimal path by 28.6% and demonstrated a 78.5% increase in convergence efficiency compared to the PPO algorithm.It outperformed in handling more complex tasks that require high-level policies and exhibits stronger generalization capabilities.Compared to Q-Learning,Deep Q-Network(DQN)algorithm and Soft Actor Critical(SAC)algorithm,the improved algorithm showed efficiency improvements of 84.4%,83.7%,and 77.9% respectively.After the optimization of continuous task scheduling for a single AGV,the average path was reduced by 47.6%. © 2025 CIMS. All rights reserved.