An automated warehouse includes a plurality of transfer destinations at which articles can be placed; and a transporter that moves between the plurality of transfer destinations and that transfers the article to the transfer destination, the automated warehouse including: moving-side image capturer provided on the transporter and image-captures the transfer destination and a part or all of an operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter; and a fixed-side image capturer provided at a predetermined position in the automated warehouse, and image-captures, from a direction different from that of the moving-side image capturer, the transporter and a part or all of the operation of transferring the article to the transfer destination performed by the transporter.

The application describes a system and process for anticipating when a user will leave a selection area within a materials handling facility and determining if a notification requesting that the user provide a tote of picked items to a drop off location should be presented to the user. For example, a user may be asked to provide items picked from a selection area for processing, such as packing, while the user is picking items from other selection areas of a materials handling facility.

A tire comprises a toroidal carcass, which has a central cavity and at least one body ply, which is partially folded onto itself and, hence, laterally has two turn-ups, each having an edge of the body ply resting against an intermediate portion of the body ply. Two annular beads are each surrounded by the body ply and having a bead core and a bead filler. An identification label is fixed in a removable manner, for example by gluing, and arranged in the area of an annular bead and supports a temporary RFID device, which can be read from a distance.

Described herein are exemplary systems and methods for the optimization of shipping cartons relative to the contents of orders to be placed therein. An exemplary carton optimization method evaluates a sample size of orders received at a given location and then determines an optimal carton set that includes at least one feasible carton for each order, while also minimizing shipping costs based on dimensional weighing-based pricing by reducing the dimensional weight, thereby minimizing void space and increasing the carton space utilization percentage. An exemplary carton optimization method may be further customized to optimize a carton set for an order, based on the cartons already available at a given warehouse or other site. As a result, cartons are utilized and designed more efficiently at the site.

A system and method for automated palletization of totes and cuboid containers includes an end effector having fingers projecting outwardly. The fingers may engage recesses in the totes. Alternatively, actuators on fixed fingers can move gripping surfaces into engagement with the totes or containers. Or actuators on a body of the end effector can move the fingers, which include gripping surfaces.

A system and method for automated palletization of totes and cuboid containers includes an end effector having fingers projecting outwardly. The fingers may engage recesses in the totes. Alternatively, actuators on fixed fingers can move gripping surfaces into engagement with the totes or containers. Or actuators on a body of the end effector can move the fingers, which include gripping surfaces.

An order fulfillment system stores any number of items in an item population. The item population includes any number of unique items. The order fulfillment system includes an input system, a storage system, and a packing system. The input system receives items for the population, prepares the received items for storage, and translates the items to the storage system. The storage system stores items in unique storage locations until the items are ordered by a customer of the order fulfillment system. The packing system prepares items orders, packages the items of the order, and sends the orders to the customer which ordered the items. The order fulfillment system also includes storage and fulfillment policies for determining storage locations and packing stations, respectively. Operators of the order fulfillment system can perform actions in the order fulfillment system to facilitate storing and fulfilling orders.

Disclosed are a module apparatus for garbage collection and an operation method for the module apparatus. A module apparatus for garbage collection, according to the present invention, comprises: a case which is provided so as to be attached to a garbage receptacle and has a first hole on the lower end; an integrated circuit module which is accommodated inside the case; a battery for supplying power to the integrated circuit module; and a sensor unit which is electrically connected to the integrated circuit module and is for sensing the volume of garbage accumulated inside the garbage receptacle, wherein the first hole is aligned with a second hole formed on the garbage receptacle and the detection unit detects the volume of the garbage through the first and second holes.

A storage apparatus includes a pair of storage portions including shelves on which a FOUP of a front-to-rear width narrower than a right-to-left width is to be placed, the storage portions being arranged facing each other in a front-and-rear direction, and a conveyor between the storage portions to transfer the FOUP between the shelves of the storage portions. In each storage portion, the shelves located at an identical height position are arrayed in a left-and-right direction. The conveyor places the FOUP, on each of the shelves, in a state in which a front surface of the FOUP faces the left-and-right direction.

The invention relates to a method for bundling conveyed streams on a material handling element (Ka . . . Kz, K1 . . . K34) comprising a number of incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b), at least one coupling (2) to an outgoing conveyor segment (3), on which the incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b) converge, and a number of holding devices (4a, 4b) for holding a conveyed stream on the incoming conveyor segments (1a, 1b). In a first step the conveyed objects (17) are vectorially combined in in ascending/descending order according to a desired sorting sequence. When a conveyed object (17) passes the material handling element (Ka . . . Kz, K1 . . . K34) a vector corresponding to the actual sequence is entered in the vector combination. Conveyed objects (17) are released if a ring with a constant direction is avoided in the vector combination. The invention further relates to a material handling element (Ka . . . Kz, K1 . . . K34) for carrying out said method.