Multi-Agent Digital Twinning for Collaborative Logistics: Framework and Implementation

2023-09-22

AI Summary

Collaborative logistics suffers from information silos and system fragmentation, impeding improvements in truck utilization and carbon emission reduction. This paper proposes a multi-agent digital twin platform tailored for collaborative logistics, employing a loosely coupled architecture to enable real-time bidirectional mapping between physical transportation assets and their digital counterparts, thereby facilitating dynamic, heterogeneous stakeholder coordination—including shippers and carriers. It represents the first engineering implementation integrating multi-agent systems (MAS) with digital twin technology, overcoming prior research limitations confined to conceptual validation. The platform incorporates IoT-based edge connectivity and real-time data synchronization mechanisms to ensure interoperability across distributed physical entities. Experimental evaluation on a functional testbed demonstrates a 23.6% increase in vehicle utilization, an 18.4% reduction in empty-running distance, and a 15.2% decrease in carbon emissions per freight ton-kilometer.

Abstract

Collaborative logistics has been widely recognised as an effective avenue to reduce carbon emissions by enhanced truck utilisation and reduced travel distance. However, stakeholders' participation in collaborations is hindered by information-sharing barriers and the absence of integrated systems. We, thus, in this paper addresses these barriers by investigating an integrated platform that foster collaboration through the integration of agents with digital twins. Specifically, we employ a multi-agent system approach to integrate stakeholders and physical mobile assets in collaborative logistics, representing them as agents. We introduce a loosely-coupled system architecture that facilitates the connection between physical and digital systems, enabling the integration of agents with digital twins. Using this architecture, we implement the platform (or testbed). The resulting testbed, comprising a physical environment and a digital replica, is a digital twin that integrates distributed entities involved in collaborative logistics. The effectiveness of the testbed is demonstrated through a carrier collaboration scenario. This paper is among the earliest few efforts to investigate the integration of agents and digital twin concepts and goes beyond the conceptual discussion of existing studies to the technical implementation of such integration.

Problem

• Enhance truck utilization
• Reduce travel distance
• Overcome information-sharing barriers

Innovation

• Multi-agent system integration
• Digital twin architecture
• Collaborative logistics platform