A modular order fullment system uses a number of inexpensive mobile apparatuses such as containers with horizontally accessible bins that are brought to a stationary frame that supports a pick-to-light system to direct a human or robotic operator to pick from or put to receptacles in the mobile apparatus.

Increased robotic sophistication and more efficient autonomous operation is implemented by providing separate physical autonomous robots shared and remote access to the sensory array and information from the sensory array of one another. Each robot can access a sensor of any other robot, or scans or other information obtained from the sensor of any other robot. The robots leverage the shared sensory access in order to perform batch order fulfillment, dynamic rearrangement of item or tote locations, and opportunistic charging. These coordinated robotic operations based on the shared sensory access increase the efficiency and productivity of the robots without adding resources or hardware to the robots, increasing the speed of the robots, or increasing the number of deployed robots.

A method for assigning orders to a plurality of robots fulfilling orders in a warehouse with the assistance of a plurality of operators. The method includes providing a first robot of the plurality of robots to a be assigned an order set, including one or more orders to be fulfilled and assessing the locations of at least one of the plurality of robots or at least one of the plurality of operators in the warehouse. The method also includes selecting an anchor location in the warehouse and generating an order set for the first robot correlated to the anchor location in the warehouse. The method also includes assigning the order set to the first robot for fulfillment.

A method and system for picking or put-away within a logistics facility. The system includes a central server and at least one mobile manipulation robot. The central server is configured to communicate with the robots to send and receive picking data which includes a unique identification for each item to be picked, a location within the logistics facility of the items to be picked, and a route for the robot to take within the logistics facility. The robots can then autonomously navigate and position themselves within the logistics facility by recognition of landmarks by at least one of a plurality of sensors. The sensors also provide signals related to detection, identification, and location of a item to be picked or put-away, and processors on the robots analyze the sensor information to generate movements of a unique articulated arm and end effector on the robot to pick or put-away the item.

A warehouse management system is provided using computing equipment and wireless communications between beacons providing worker locations in a warehouse. The system employs software running on the computing equipment to ascertain missing products for orders being shipped from packing stations in a product warehouse, and to assign workers with the shortest determined travel time over travel routes in the warehouse, to retrieve the missing product and move it to the packing station.

Inventory systems may include storage locations or other elements that can be visually indicated by selective glowing triggered by received wavelengths. In one example, a selected storage location can be determined from among multiple storage locations. A set of one or more wavelengths may be determined that is operable, when received at multiple markers associated with the multiple locations, to cause one or more of the markers to emit a presentation that visibly indicates the selected storage location or provides a visible acknowledgement of an action associated with the selected storage location. Instructions can be provided to cause a wavelength source to emit the set of one or more wavelengths so as to reach the multiple markers and cause the presentation.

Increased robotic sophistication and more efficient autonomous operation is implemented by providing separate physical autonomous robots shared and remote access to the sensory array and information from the sensory array of one another. Each robot can access a sensor of any other robot, or scans or other information obtained from the sensor of any other robot. The robots leverage the shared sensory access in order to perform batch order fulfillment, dynamic rearrangement of item or tote locations, and opportunistic charging. These coordinated robotic operations based on the shared sensory access increase the efficiency and productivity of the robots without adding resources or hardware to the robots, increasing the speed of the robots, or increasing the number of deployed robots.

Described in detail herein is an autonomous object storage and retrieval system. In one embodiment, an object storage and retrieval system includes a computing system hosting a service application and in communication with a database and storage and retrieval apparatuses configured to store and dispense physical objects. Each storage and retrieval apparatus is in communication with the computing system. The computing system can transmit instructions to a first one of the storage and retrieval apparatuses to render the status of the first physical object on the interactive display of the storage and retrieval apparatus.

A selective shelf lighting system is provided. The shelf lighting system is adapted so that portions of the shelving may be selectively powered via a wireless computing device based on inventory associated with those portions, wherein the desired inventory may be identified by the wireless computing device is provided. The shelf lighting system is enabled so that one or more portions of light tracks connected to the shelving are powered so as to specifically identify a relevant portion of the shelf associated with an inventory item a user inputs into the wireless computing device. A systemic software application can associate each portion of the light track(s) with a predetermined inventory item so that a user of the wireless computing device, such as a customer or a stockperson, can identify the relevant location of possibly a vast array of shelves within a large storage space.

A semi-autonomous processing system for processing objects is disclosed. The semi-autonomous processing system includes an input conveyance system for moving objects to a presentation area, a perception system including perception units that are directed toward a detection area for providing perception data regarding an object in the presentation area, at least two transport systems, each of which is adapted to receive the object and move the object in either of reciprocal directions, and a manual workstation area between the perception area the at least two transport systems.