ISSN 1746-7659, England, UK Journal of Information and Computing Science Vol. 3, No. 4, 2008, pp. 305-312 The development of database and HCI system for automated guided vehicle in web-based monitoring environment Bagus Arthaya 1 , Hotna M. Sitorus 2 and Yogi Y. Wibisono 1 + Department of Industrial Engineering, Catholic University of Parahyangan (Received September 12, 2008, accepted October 30, 2008) Abstract. Rapid technology development has in fact affected the industrial sector significantly. This is shown by the increasing use of automatic devices such as industrial robots and some automatic machines to run the production line. One of machines frequently used in production line is the Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV), which is a mobile robot controlled by a computer to move above a previously defined guide lines. An AGV can move from one work station to another by following one direction guide lines. To have a good control on products involved in the production process, a database system needs to be developed to record the data related to product and production activities. Another requirement is the ability to monitor the movement of the AGV within the working environment. Besides, the number of products coming in to and out from one station have to be accurately recorded. Remote monitoring of the running process is now becoming a new requirement. The system can be monitored when a Human Computer Interface (HCI) is provided. This interface is designed in a web bases system so that some personal in charged with a certain privileges can access the monitoring system from a distance. They can just monitor or even give command to the system when necessary. When the system runs, the AGV continuously reports its position to the main controller and the product they bring as well. AGV and product identification are done by using a bar code reading system. In controlling AGV, a proper database system is required as a part or the whole data can be utilized by the user. One of the data model that can be used is relational data model. Database development using relational data model is done by collecting all desired data. Afterwards, from these data entities, attributes and primary keys have to be defined as well as the relationship between entities. The relationships can be clearly seen in the Entity Relationship Diagram (ERD). This diagram is then normalized and the result will become a ready to use database. This work results in a database for controlling and monitoring an AGV that embedded to a web based monitoring system Keywords: automated guided vehicle, data flow diagram, entity relationship diagram, physical database, human-computer interface. 1. Introduction In the last three decades, a rapid technology development has in fact affected the industrial sector significantly. The main development happens in computer technology and this opens a higher possibility to use automatic machines in real life. This is shown by the increasing use of automatic devices such as industrial robots and some automatic machines to run the production activities. One of machines frequently used in production line is the Automatic Guided Vehicle (AGV), which is a mobile robot controlled by a computer to move along a previously defined guide lines. An AGV can move from one work station to another by following one direction guide lines (Premi, 1983). To have a good control on products involved in the production process, a database system needs to be developed to record all data related to product and production activities. Another requirement is the ability to monitor the movement of the AGV within the working environment. Besides, the number of products coming in to and out from one station have to be accurately recorded. In controlling the AGV movement, there are a lot of data needed when a feedback is coming from their environment or when a command has to be executed. All of these data are collected in a structural media that obviously called a database. Technology development makes a borderless world that people can communicate easily from one place + Bagus Arthaya. Tel.: +62-22-702 1434; fax: +22-22-203 2700. E-mail address: bagusart@home.unpar.ac.id Published by World Academic Press, World Academic Union