Controlling a conveyor installation of a real warehouse having automated machines and persons that are virtualized in a central computer for storing a virtual model of the conveyor installation having the dimensions of the individual conveyor components and the movement parameters thereof. Images of the objects to be conveyed, automated machines and persons in the conveyor installation are captured by sensors at predefined short time intervals and identified by image recognition, and the positions thereof in the conveyor installation are determined. The virtual model is continuously updated with the identification and position determination of the objects in the central computer such that a virtualized real-time model is generated, and the real conveyor installation is centrally controlled with the aid of the model, where material flow control commands are generated for the real actuators for controlling the conveying movement of the automated machines to avoid endangering the persons.

Disclosed are a method and device for moving an article based on dense storage, a storage medium, and a dense storage system. The method includes: upon detecting that a target shelf is blocked by at least one blocking shelf, instructing a first self-driven robot to remove the blocking shelf and/or a blocking storage box to make the target shelf not blocked by the blocking shelf or make a target storage box on the target self not blocked by the blocking storage box; instructing the first self-driven robot to carry the blocking shelf and/or the blocking storage box and perform a circular movement along a robot travelling passage; and instructing a second self-driven robot to move the target shelf from its current position to a workstation, or instructing the second self-driven robot to remove the target storage box from the target shelf and move the target storage box to the workstation.

Provided is an automated vertical transfer system for a site that includes one or more mezzanines or other structures that create different operational vertical planes. The system may include a robot controller and one or more robots that operate exclusively on one of the different operational vertical planes. The robot controller may synchronize and/or coordinate the operations of the robots and/or other devices so that objects may be transferred across planes while each robot remains and continues operations on one plane.

A system for data transfer between a server, a remote vending machine and a user computing device includes a remote vending machine for selectively providing an item stored therein to a user, a user computing device, an accounting server, a transaction server, and a data transfer network, wherein the vending machine comprises a door, a radio-frequency identification (RFID) antenna, a communication module, a memory, and a controller. The controller is communicatively coupled by a data transfer bus with the memory, the communication module and the RFID antenna. The user computing device comprises an authorization module and is configured to transfer to and receive data from the accounting server. The accounting and transaction servers, the vending machine and the user computing device are communicatively interconnected with one another by the data transfer network.

A robot system (2a . . . 2d) is specified, which comprises a robot (1a, 1b) having a gripping unit (4) for collecting and placing down/throwing goods (26a, . . . 26g), wherein the goods (26a, . . . 26g) are differentiated into multiple types with respect to their dimensional stability, compressive stability, flexural rigidity, strength, their absolute weight and/or specific weight. When the goods (26a, . . . 26g) are manipulated, the robot (1a, 1b) and/or the gripping unit (4) are controlled depending on the type determined for the goods (26a, . . . 26g). Moreover, a method for operating the robot system (2a, . . . 2d) is specified.

An automated mobile vehicle (AMV) including a frame forming a pallet bed for a pallet, and having an automated mobile robot bus, separate and distinct from the pallet bed, a drive section coupled to the frame to provide automated vehicle mobility, and a controller operably coupled to the drive section to effect automated vehicle mobility, wherein, the robot bus has a bus interface for docking independent automated mobile robots (AMR) to the frame so that the AMR is carried by the frame, wherein the AMR has independent automated mobility so that undocked from the frame, the AMR is free to roam independent from the AMV, and wherein the AMR is fungible for docking with the frame from a number different AMRs, to effect a predetermined material handling characteristic, and wherein the controller is coupled to the AMR to manage control of the predetermined material handling characteristic with the AMR undocked from the frame and moving as a unit apart from the frame.

A processing system is disclosed for processing objects. The processing system includes a perception system for providing perception data regarding an object, and a primary transport system for providing transport of the object along a primary direction toward a processing location that is identified based on the perception data.

Disclosed are a method and device for moving an article based on dense storage, a storage medium, and a dense storage system. The method includes: upon detecting that a target shelf is blocked by at least one blocking shelf, instructing a first self-driven robot to remove the blocking shelf and/or a blocking storage box to make the target shelf not blocked by the blocking shelf or make a target storage box on the target self not blocked by the blocking storage box; instructing the first self-driven robot to carry the blocking shelf and/or the blocking storage box and perform a circular movement along a robot travelling passage; and instructing a second self-driven robot to move the target shelf from its current position to a workstation, or instructing the second self-driven robot to remove the target storage box from the target shelf and move the target storage box to the workstation.

A drop perception system is disclosed that includes an open housing structure having an internal volume, an open top and an open bottom, and a plurality of perception units positioned to capture perception data within the internal volume at a plurality of locations between the open top and the open bottom of the open housing.

A system for singulating objects includes a bin for receiving a collection of objects, a robotic manipulator for grasping objects from the bin, a scale for measuring a weight of the grasped objects, and a computer system for comparing measured weights to acceptable weight ranges to detect double picks. Methods include determining acceptable weight ranges by weighing a plurality of objects.