As an important place for knowledge storage and dissemination, libraries are undergoing a profound transformation from traditional service models to intelligent and automated directions. In this process of transformation, the application of Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) technology has become a key driving force for improving the operational efficiency of libraries. Through innovative logistics system design, efficiency bottlenecks in book sorting, transportation, and shelving have been solved.
The efficiency of the book sorting system is of significant application value for AGV technology in libraries. Shenzhen Bao'an Library has taken the lead in applying logistics sorting technology to book processing. The intelligent sorting and returning system composed of 32 AGVs shuttles up and down the workbench, and can sort 2000 books per hour. Compared to traditional manual sorting, which takes 2 days to process the daily return of 10000 books during peak periods, AGV systems have achieved a qualitative leap in efficiency. Similarly, Shunde Library has developed an automatic book return system. After readers return their books to the self-service book return machine, they are transported by a conveyor belt to a small sorting AGV and then delivered to the corresponding book classification and delivery port. When the number of books reaches a certain level, the large transport AGV will pull the books away and deliver them to the bookshelves on each floor through elevators, completing the fully automated book return process. This hierarchical AGV system design ensures sorting accuracy and improves overall throughput.
The intelligent three-dimensional book library represents a high-level integration of AGV technology and library storage systems. The "Nantu Pre lending" project of Nanshan Library adopts intelligent warehousing, stacker cranes, shuttle cars, and AGV robot technology to achieve high-density storage and efficient sorting of 600000 books. After the reader initiates a borrowing order, the four-way shuttle car cooperates with the high-speed elevator to complete the outbound operation. After the books are labeled by the packaging machine, the AGV automatically picks up and transports them to the corresponding cargo area according to the corresponding route of the book box, and then the third-party logistics delivers them. Suzhou Second Library also adopts advanced AGV logistics system, establishing four storage areas including box stacker garage, shuttle garage, and forklift garage, covering an area of about 6500 square meters, with a storage capacity of 7 million volumes, achieving a daily storage efficiency of 20000 volumes. These cases fully demonstrate that AGV systems can truly activate book resources that cannot be borrowed normally for a long time, greatly improving the service capabilities and resource utilization of libraries.
The elevator collaborative control system is a technical difficulty and innovation point in the application of AGV in libraries. The case study of Shunde Testing Institute's acceptance of the PLC controlled automatic calling device installed in a library elevator shows that the AGV system can complete the automatic calling function by wirelessly transmitting instructions to the PLC control system inside the elevator car, and work in coordination with the elevator operation to achieve automatic transportation of books across floors. This AGV elevator collaboration mechanism requires solving technical challenges such as communication protocol compatibility, security interlocking, and emergency handling. However, its successful application provides key support for the library's three-dimensional logistics system, enabling seamless circulation of books between different floors and areas, greatly reducing the manpower input for sorting books.
The application of AGV technology in libraries has formed a relatively mature technical route and business model, and its future development will focus on three directions: first, system flexibility, adapting to the needs of libraries of different scales through more intelligent scheduling algorithms and more flexible AGV designs; The second is functional integration, which integrates sorting, transportation, shelving and other functions into the same AGV platform to reduce system complexity; The third is service extension. For example, Nanshan Library plans to use the intelligent book library as a service branch to undertake the function of document allocation for various community libraries, Nanshan study rooms, and intelligent borrowing points. With the continuous advancement of technology and the continuous reduction of costs, AGV logistics systems will gradually be popularized from large libraries to small and medium-sized libraries, promoting the development of the entire library industry towards intelligence and efficiency, and providing readers with a more convenient and effective book borrowing experience.
