The paper presents an approach of the blockchain and smart contracts utilization for dynamic robot coalition creation. The coalition is forming for solving complex tasks in industry applications that ...requires sequential united actions from the several robots. The main idea is that the process is split into two stages: scheduling and dynamic execution. On the scheduling stage, the coalition is defined based on the correlation of existing tasks and robot equipment, and the execution plan is formed and stored in smart contracts. The second stage is the plan execution. During this stage, smart contract controls how each robot solves its sub-task and whether it solves the sub-task due to the planned moment of time. In case of any deviation from the plan, smart contacts will provide a solution for returning to the plan or for changing the coalition composition with new robots and an execution plan. The prototype for execution control system has been developed based on the Hyperledger Fabric platform.
Recently, the applications of Blockchain technology have begun to revolutionise different aspects of supply chain (SC) management. Among others, Blockchain is a platform to execute the smart ...contracts in the SC as transactions. We develop and test a new model for smart contract design in the SC with multiple logistics service providers and show that this problem can be presented as a multi-processor flexible flow shop scheduling. A distinctive feature of our approach is that the execution of physical operations is modelled inside the start and completion of cyber information services. We name this modelling concept 'virtual operation'. The constructed model and the developed experimental environment constitute an event-driven dynamic approach to task and service composition when designing the smart contract. Our approach is also of value when considering the contract execution stage. The use of state control variables in our model allows for operations status updates in the Blockchain that in turn, feeds automated information feedbacks, disruption detection and control of contract execution. The latter launches the re-scheduling procedure, comprehensively combining planning and adaptation decisions within a unified methodological framework of dynamic control theory. The modelling complex developed can be used to design and control smart contracts in the SC.
We study the problem of scheduling in manufacturing environments which are dynamically reconfigurable for supporting highly flexible individual operation compositions of the jobs. We show that such ...production environments yield the simultaneous process design and operation sequencing with dynamically changing hybrid structural-logical constraints. We conceptualize a model to schedule jobs in such environments when the structural-logical constraints are changing dynamically and offer a design framework of algorithmic development to obtain a tractable solution analytically within the proven axiomatic of the optimal control and mathematical optimization. We further develop an algorithm to simultaneously determine the process design and operation sequencing. The algorithm is decomposition-based and leads to an approximate solution of the underlying optimization problem that is modeled by optimal control. We theoretically analyze the algorithmic complexity and apply this approach on an illustrative example. The findings suggest that our approach can be of value for modeling problems with a simultaneous process design and operation sequencing when the structural and logical constraints are dynamic and interconnected. Utilizing the outcomes of this research could also support the analysis of processing dynamics during the operations execution.
•Integration of different types of models and technologies for flood monitoring.•A real-time flood monitoring and forecasting system is proposed.•Heterogeneous data processing and integration.•A case ...study for short-term river flood forecasting is given.•Experimental results show a high forecasting accuracy.
The paper presents the state-of-the-art in flood forecasting and simulation applied to a river flood analysis and risk prediction. Different water flow forecasting and river simulation models and systems are analysed. An advanced river flood monitoring, modelling and forecasting approach is introduced. It extends the traditional approach based on modelling river physical processes by integration of different types of models and technologies such as input data clustering and filtering, digital maps of a relief and river terrain, data crowdsourcing, heterogeneous data processing, hydrological models for time scale modelling water flows and geo-simulation, inundation visualisation and duly warning on flooding. A case study on river flow forecasting and simulation for river flood risk analysis and management is given.
Different approaches of determination and formalization for uncertainty and risk factors are studied. Concept of risk integrated modelling and corresponding structure of choice are described. This ...concept is based on mathematical structuring and functorcategory description. Proposed methodology and techniques were implemented in the area of active mobile objects automatic control system.