Qixiang Cai

Prof. Qixiang Cai


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

13Years (2014-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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1 January 2014 in International Journal on Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
QCQixiang Cai
Qixiang Cai
DTDunbing Tang
Dunbing Tang
KZKun Zheng
Kun Zheng
HZHaihua Zhu
Haihua Zhu
XWXing Wu
Xing Wu
XLXiaochun Lu
Xiaochun Lu
To solve the problems of task scheduling and coordination control presented by a multi-AGV system, the mixed regional control model for the production task has been advanced. The architecture of multi-AGV task assignment and scheduling mechanism has been proposed by combining the mixed regional control model for the production task and the neuro-endocrine coordination mechanism. Hormones for manufacturing cell are secreted by the machine tool according to the information in the production task, and the task can be allocated to the most suitable machine according to the hormone concentrations of the manufacturing cell. The AGV’s hormones are secreted according to the AGV’s operation state. The AGV with the largest hormone concentration will be chosen to execute the transportation task, thus shortening the overall run time of the system. A series of scheduling simulation experiments are performed for some specific examples to demonstrate the feasibility and efficacy of the proposed approach. The results show that tasks can be allocated according to the current status of a machine tool and tasks can be scheduled according to the current state of the AGV system to maximize the efficiency of the AGVs as well as that of the overall system.

15 November 2022 in Machines
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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HZHaihua Zhu
Haihua Zhu
STShuai Tao
Shuai Tao
YGYong Gui
Yong Gui
QCQixiang Cai
Qixiang Cai
With the rapid development of modern industrialization in our country and the continuous improvement of people’s living standards, the changing market has put forward new requirements for traditional manufacturing enterprises. The order product demand of many manufacturing enterprises is changing from a single variety, large batch to multiple varieties, small batch. In view of this change, the traditional job-shop scheduling method is far from enough, which greatly affects the efficiency of the production job-shop. In order to solve the above problems, this paper proposes a real-time scheduling method based on reinforcement learning applied in the dynamic job-shop and a new type of neural network is designed at the same time. The neural network is designed with the high-dimensional data in the above problem as input, and a policy-based reinforcement learning algorithm is proposed based on this network. In the process of research, it was found that the reinforcement learning method not only enables the agent to use historical data for learning, but also enables it to explore and learn other possible high-reward actions within a certain range, so as to realize the optimization of production goals under real-time scheduling. The effectiveness of the proposed real-time scheduling method is verified by comparing with other common rule-based scheduling methods in the manufacturing environment.

4 January 2026 in Sustainability
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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QCQixiang Cai
Qixiang Cai
JHJinmin Han
Jinmin Han
XZXiao Zhou
Xiao Zhou
SZShuaijie Zhao
Shuaijie Zhao
LLLunyou Li
Lunyou Li
HZHaihua Zhu
Haihua Zhu
Amid the dual-driven trends of Industry 5.0 and smart manufacturing integration, as well as the global imperative for manufacturing sustainability to address resource constraints, carbon neutrality goals, and circular economy demands, human–robot collaborative (HRC) manufacturing has emerged as a core direction for reshaping manufacturing production modes while aligning with sustainable development principles. This paper comprehensively reviews HRC manufacturing systems, summarizing their technical framework, practical applications, and development trends with a focus on the synergistic realization of operational efficiency and sustainability. Addressing the rigidity of traditional automated lines, inefficiency of manual production, and the unsustainable drawbacks of high energy consumption and resource waste in conventional manufacturing, HRC integrates humans’ flexible decision-making and environmental adaptability with robots’ high-precision and continuous operation, not only improving production efficiency, quality, and safety but also optimizing resource allocation, reducing energy consumption, and minimizing production waste to bolster manufacturing sustainability. Its core technologies include task allocation, multimodal perception, augmented interaction (AR/VR/MR), digital twin-driven integration, adaptive motion control, and real-time decision-making, all of which can be tailored to support sustainable production scenarios such as energy-efficient process scheduling and circular material utilization. These technologies have been applied in automotive, aeronautical, astronautical, and shipping industries, boosting high-end equipment manufacturing innovation while advancing the sector’s sustainability performance. Finally, challenges and future directions of HRC are discussed, emphasizing its pivotal role in driving manufacturing toward a balanced development of efficiency, intelligence, flexibility, and sustainability.

1 January 2016 in Procedia CIRP
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
QCQixiang Cai
Qixiang Cai
DTDunbing Tang
Dunbing Tang
HZHaihua Zhu
Haihua Zhu
For improving the adaptability of manufacturing system to deal with the complex dynamic problems, the concept of an organic manufacturing system has been proposed. The monitoring technology of organic manufacturing system based on the operating mechanism of artificial immune system is studied in this paper. To eliminate promptly uncertain disturbances during the organic manufacturing system's operation, an immune monitoring model of an organic manufacturing system, analogous to a biological immune system mechanism is proposed. The implementation of immune assessment, recognition and regulation in response to abnormal disturbance factors is investigated. The immune assessment model based on grey correlation degree method is analyzed in depth, and the effectiveness of the system state assessment method is verified experimentally through simulation.