Abstract

Abstract
This paper presents an approach for a multi-agent-based cyber-physical system dedicated to operating the warehouse plant with a distributed approach. The recent technological evolution has improved the quality and robustness of the services for current warehouses. However, systems that operate warehouses do not follow this evolution, presenting predominantly central monolithic or hierarchical approaches, resulting in fragility related to flexibility, scalability, and robustness in the face of disturbances. In the proposed approach, each warehouse physical component has a computational unit associated, i.e. a cyber agent, with communication, negotiation, and data analysis capabilities. Agents contain all the information, algorithms, and functions necessary to operate the physical component, and instead of receiving orders from higher-layer agents, they negotiate and collaborate to perform the tasks. The proposed system was tested in a laboratory testbed, composed of six racks and up to eight robots for transporting products. Extensive experiments show the feasibility of the approach. Copyright (c) 2023 The Authors.

Abstract
This paper describes a mobile application, developed in an educational context, by the students of the Degree in Computer Engineering of the Instituto Politécnico de Bragança, allowing them to develop skills, based on real-world community problems solving, promoting by this way its engagement, and, at the same time, provide a solution to an effective need of the local community. The developed application has as goal to support the Human Veterinary Resources Management in a Low Density Population Context. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Abstract
Nowadays, Automated Guides Vehicles and Autonomous Mobile Robots are equipped with electromagnetic or optical automatic guiding devices and can navigate, interact, perform path planning and avoid obstacles. It is crucial to develop applications to support the teaching by real and/or simulated robots. In this paper the authors propose a simulation of an AGV system, that uses localization based on mounted cameras for positioning and control by a central system. Also, a real robot prototype is proposed. The mobile robot should reach the destination point precisely and kept inside the desired margins, avoiding collisions. The presented results show the developed system in operation. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Abstract
In this paper, it is presented a field of view analysis of a time of flight sensor, that will be applied in a mobile robotics application. The sensor was configured in order to obtain a tradeoff between reactiveness and accuracy. It was used a microcontroller development board to acquire data and a manipulator to perform the movements, assuring repeatability and accuracy in the data acquisition process. The results of this paper will be used as an input to a simulation, in order to assist in the development of a mobile robotics application and also to be applied in educational contexts. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.

Abstract
In this paper, it is presented an integration between a finishing device and a collaborative robot in order to automate the sanding process of a ceramic industry in Portugal. The finishing device and the collaborative robot are described as well as the communication between the devices. It was used a computer responsible for decision making and control of all the system. The system was able to control the position of the finishing device according to the force done in the sponge by the ceramic. The final system behavior was presented and discussed, which was satisfactory and performed well. The presented experimental setup is not intended for industrial use, but it is suitable for concept prove, in laboratory. The outputs that will emerge here will be applied in a future industrial application, with requisites compatible with the application environment, regarding robustness and repeatability. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd.