A sorting device comprises a support member for supporting and transporting an article. The support member is drivable in a conveying direction. The sorting device also comprises a loading station at which at least an article can be loaded to the support member, and an unloading station at which at least an article can be removed from the support member. The unloading station is provided with a plurality of receivers for receiving an article that is removed from the support member. The receivers are arranged transversely with respect to the conveying direction and disposed such that they are below the support member when the support member is at the unloading station. Furthermore, the sorting device comprises a controller for directing an article that is supported and transported by the support member to a selected one of the receivers.

A sorting system including a plurality of sorter light boxes, a hub, and a controller. The plurality of sorter light boxes may each be configured to be mounted to a respective shelf, and may each configured to be coupled to another one of the sorter light boxes to create a chain of sorter light boxes. The hub may be configured to be coupled to a first sorter light box in the chain of sorter light boxes. The hub may also be configured to operate as a concentrator of control signals and power for the sorter light boxes. The controller may be configured to be coupled to the hub and may be configured generate control signals for the sorter light boxes.

In some embodiments, apparatuses and methods are provided herein useful for product storage location identification. Reconfigurable lights can be mounted to product storage locations and one or more of the lights can be illuminated to identify a particular storage location, such as for placement or pick up of a product. The system described herein can utilize radio-frequency identification (RFID) chips or tags to identify products and storage locations. So configured, the system can identify which storage location a particular product is in or can identify where a particular product should be placed.

A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.

Embodiments herein describe techniques for operating lighting systems which can be used by associates who are colorblind or are susceptible to optically induced seizures (e.g., photosensitive epilepsy). In one embodiment, the lighting system includes programmable light sources which permit the lighting system to use colors that a colorblind person can easily distinguishe.g., red, blue, orange, etc. Put differently, the lighting system can choose colors which are easily distinguishable to a colorblind associate when instructing the associate to take an action. Moreover, the lighting system can pulse a light source by changing its brightness or intensity over time. The lighting system can control a maximum gradient change rate and a maximum intensity change to mitigate a risk of optical seizures when pulsing the light sources to mitigate the risk of inducing a seizure.

A method and system for piece-picking or piece 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 piece-picking data which includes a unique identification for each piece to be picked, a location within the logistics facility of the pieces 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 piece 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 piece.

A material handling system reduces or eliminates human interaction with articles sorted and deposited into an order container to maintain validation and integrity of the order. Validated articles are inducted onto a sortation conveyor that selectively dispenses or deposits each article at a destination into a container. A shuttle vehicle moves along a first side of row of such containers to replace an empty container in place of any container that holds a completed order and moves the latter onto a transport conveyor.

Systems may include a storage location and a bladder. The storage location may have a volume. The bladder may be selectively inflatable and deflatable to change an amount of the volume of the storage location that is occupied by the bladder. Fluid communication between the bladder and an inflation network may change an amount of pressurized fluid present in the bladder so as to change the amount of the volume of the storage location occupied by the bladder. For example, this may cause the bladder to press against an item in the storage location, such as to secure the item or to facilitate a determination of an amount of space that is occupied in the storage location and/or an amount of space that is available for receipt of additional items.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a guiding assembly and a vehicle. The guiding assembly includes a first guiding system arranged in a first horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second guiding system arranged in a second horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, and a plurality of storage containers. The vehicle includes a lifting device for picking up storage containers that includes a lifting frame connectable to a storage container via lifting bands including powering and control cables for controlling a gripping device on the lifting frame. The vehicle includes at least one reader arranged on the lifting frame configured to read at least one label of a storage container of the system. The at least one reader is power and signally connected to onboard controls and communications systems of the vehicle.

The invention refers to a picking device, in particular a storage lift, comprising at least one removal point for storage products and/or storage products carriers. In order to increase the efficiency of the operation of a picking device, it is provided according to the invention that the picking device is connected to at least one remaining time calculating device with which the remaining time until the arrival of a storage product and/or storage product carrier transported in the picking device at the at least one removal point can be calculated, wherein the picking device has at least one display device on which an image that represents the remaining time can be displayed.