Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 July 2019
This paper concerns with comparing simulation studies for a newly developed concept of turning point to be used in multiple robot path planning. Different critical factors and design parameters are collected and statistical analyses are performed. After configuring different simulation scenarios, the efficient one is evaluated using a robust data envelopment analysis (RDEA). Due to uncertain aspects of various simulations scenarios, robust version of data envelopment analysis is proposed. Here, major criteria in robot path planning are deadlock and conflict avoidance, throughput, mean flow time, and effective total distance travelled. To determine the effective experiment for the proposed simulation model, RDEA is used. A comparative study with respect to different experiments having various simulation setting is developed. The results for a real robotic manufacturing cell system show effectiveness of the proposed process. Also, the efficient simulation software is determined by multiaspect analysis.