Techniques for flexible, on-site additive manufacturing of components or portions thereof for transport structures are disclosed. An automated assembly system for a transport structure may include a plurality of automated constructors to assemble the transport structure. In one aspect, the assembly system may span the full vertically integrated production process, from powder production to recycling. At least some of the automated constructors are able to move in an automated fashion between the station under the guidance of a control system. A first of the automated constructors may include a 3-D printer to print at least a portion of a component and to transfer the component to a second one of the automated constructors for installation during the assembly of the transport structure. The automated constructors may also be adapted to perform a variety of different tasks utilizing sensors for enabling machine-learning.

A system and method for controlling movement of transporting devices arranged to transport containers, the containers being stored in stacks arranged in a facility. A facility having pathways arranged in a grid-like structure above stacks, the transporting devices being configured to operate on the grid-like structure. A control unit configured to determine at least one task to be performed by at least one transporting device, wherein the at least one task is determined based on at least one of: transporting device battery condition, transporting device damage, transporting device maintenance issues, and transporting device service issues.

A system and method for controlling movement of transporting devices arranged to transport containers, the containers being stored in stacks arranged in a facility. A facility having pathways arranged in a grid-like structure above stacks, the transporting devices being configured to operate on the grid-like structure. A control unit configured to determine at least one task to be performed by at least one transporting device, wherein the at least one task is determined based on at least one of: transporting device battery condition, transporting device damage, transporting device maintenance issues, and transporting device service issues.

An automated shuttle sorter is disclosed that includes a carriage that is movable from a load position at which the carriage may be loaded, and at least two destination locations into which any contents of the carriage may be provided from the carriage.

The present invention provides an automated modular system and method for production of biopolymers including DNA and RNA. The system and method automates the complete production process for biopolymers. Modular equipment is provided for performing production steps with the individual modules arrange in a linear array. Each module includes a control system and can be rack mounted. One side of the array of modules provides connections for power, gas, vacuum and reagents and is accessible to technicians. On the other side of the array of modules a robotic transport system is provided for transporting materials between module interfaces. The elimination of the requirement for human intervention at multiple steps in the production process significantly decreases the costs of biopolymer production and reduces unnecessary complexity and sources of quality variation.

A method of processing objects is disclosed using a programmable motion device. The method includes the steps of acquiring an object from a plurality of mixed objects at an input area, perceiving identifying indicia in connection with the object, assigning an intermediate station to a destination location for the object responsive to the identifying indicia in connection with the object, and moving the acquired object toward the intermediate station.

The present invention provides an automated modular system and method for production of biopolymers including DNA and RNA. The system and method automates the complete production process for biopolymers. Modular equipment is provided for performing production steps with the individual modules arrange in a linear array. Each module includes a control system and can be rack mounted. One side of the array of modules provides connections for power, gas, vacuum and reagents and is accessible to technicians. On the other side of the array of modules a robotic transport system is provided for transporting materials between module interfaces. The elimination of the requirement for human intervention at multiple steps in the production process significantly decreases the costs of biopolymer production and reduces unnecessary complexity and sources of quality variation.

This transportation operation control device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires presence status information of an article; an influence degree calculation unit that calculates, by employing a calculation criterion, the magnitude of the degree of influence on a transportation source site by a pre-process site that influences the transportation source site based on the presence status information related to the transportation source site and the pre-process site; an importance degree calculation unit that calculates the importance degree of a transportation operation from the transportation source site to a transportation destination site based on a transportation cost required for the transportation operation, the presence status information, and the magnitude of the degree of influence; and an updating unit that updates the calculation criterion based on the presence status information after the execution of the transportation operation selected based on the importance degree.

This transportation operation control device includes: a transportation cost acquisition unit that acquires a transportation cost obtained from a transportation operation for transporting an article to a transportation destination site from a transportation source site among a plurality of sites, the transportation cost being acquired in association with the combination between the transportation source site and the transportation destination site; a correction unit that calculates a corrected cost obtained by correcting the transportation cost on the basis of information indicating the reliability related to the transportation cost; a presence status acquisition unit that acquires presence status information indicating a presence status of the article between the transportation source site and the transportation destination site; and a calculation unit that calculates the importance degree of the transportation operation relative to the combination on the basis of the presence status information and the corrected cost.

The present disclosure relates to a pallet transfer system, including: a set-up structure that inserts a material into and withdraw a material out from a pallet; a pallet storage, on which the pallet is loaded; a material processing device that processes the material; a pallet transfer device that transfers the pallet to the set-up structure, the pallet storage, or the material processing device; a detector that detects a load applied to the pallet transfer device; and a controller that controls a speed of the pallet transfer device according to the information detected by the detector.