A vehicle, which is for use in an automated storage and retrieval system, includes a transport mechanism and a lifting device. The transport mechanism is for transporting the vehicle along a first guiding system in a first direction and a second guiding system in a second direction. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. The lifting device is for lifting storage containers from storage columns arranged below the vehicle. The lifting device includes a lifting frame connectable to a storage container. The vehicle further includes at least one reader for reading at least one label of a storage container such as to identify the storage container. The at least one reader is arranged on the lifting frame of the vehicle.

A control system is provided for inventory management facility with a plurality of containers. The control system includes a server, and a container handler operable within the inventory management facility. The container handler tractor comprises onboard sensors configured to generate sensor data of at least one container of the plurality of containers, a geolocation device configured to generate a geolocation value for the at least one container, a wireless transceiver, and a controller coupled to the onboard sensors, the geolocation device, and the wireless transceiver. The controller is configured to transmit the sensor data and the geolocation value for the at least one container to the server. The server is in communication with the container handler and is configured to generate a database associated with the sensor data, the database comprising, for each container, a container logo image and the geolocation value. The geolocation value includes a latitude value, a longitude value, and an altitude value.

A position display method, a picking robot, and a storage medium are provided. The method includes: obtaining a picking task, and determining, based on the picking task, an item to be picked, where the picking robot includes at least one container for carrying the item to be picked, the picking robot moves between a plurality of shelves in a warehouse to transport items, the shelf includes a plurality of goods storage compartments for storing different items respectively, and the item to be picked is an item that needs to be manually picked; determining a robot position of the picking robot between the shelves and a compartment position of the goods storage compartment where the item to be picked is located; and displaying, in a preset display interface of the picking robot, a relative position relationship between the compartment position and the robot position.

Methods and systems are provided for verifying a pick/put operation within an order fulfilment workstation or a storage rack. An optical device observes an operator performing a pick/put operation at the workstation. An indicia is located on the operator such that it is visible to the optical device. Image data of the indicia captured by the optical device is transmitted to a control system of the workstation. The control system determines a relative location of the indicia and then determines the location at which an item was picked from or put to relative to the workstation within a high degree of positional accuracy. The method verifies that the operator has completed the assigned pick/put operation at the required location. The methods and systems may be adapted to track or monitor relative positions of mobile and stationary equipment in an automated warehouse.

Autonomous delivery drop points for delivery of an item are provided. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a proxy sensor to communicate information related to the autonomous delivery drop point to an autonomous delivery vehicle. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a delivery inlet configured to accept the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a storage receptacle configured to store the item until the item is retrieved by the owner of the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include an attachment member coupled to the item. The autonomous delivery drop points can include a hook configured to couple to the attachment member to accept the item, wherein the hook comprises the proxy sensor.

A vehicle, which is for use in an automated storage and retrieval system, includes a transport mechanism and a lifting device. The transport mechanism is for transporting the vehicle along a first guiding system in a first direction and a second guiding system in a second direction. The second direction is orthogonal to the first direction. The lifting device is for lifting storage containers from storage columns arranged below the vehicle. The lifting device includes a lifting frame connectable to a storage container. The vehicle further includes at least one reader for reading at least one label of a storage container, such as to identify the storage container. The at least one reader is arranged on the lifting frame of the vehicle.

A robotic system that includes a storage structure, a container handling robot, and a manipulator robot is provided herein. The storage structure includes vertical members supporting a grid having a first set of rails and a second set of rails that collectively define grid spaces, and a plurality of storage containers arranged in vertical stacks within a respective one of the grid spaces. The container handling robot is arranged to move along the first and second set of rails and includes a lifting device to extract one or more storage containers from the vertical stacks and to transport the one or more storage containers about the grid. The manipulator robot is installed within a footprint of a single grid space and includes one or more vacuum generators, and a picking arm provided with a pneumatic gripping tool for picking an inventory item from the one or more storage containers.

In various embodiments, a goods to operator workstation is provided. The goods to operator workstation include an upper level. The upper level includes an upper level conveyor and one or more upper level container bays configured to receive and present one of the one or more upper level containers. The goods to operator workstation also includes at least one connector panel extending from the upper level. The goods to operator workstation further includes a lower level coupled to the at least one connector panel. The lower level is configured to receive one or more lower level containers.

A method includes: obtaining a task definition for a mobile robot, the task definition including (i) a position on an item support carried by the mobile robot, and (ii) an identifier of an item to be placed at the position to form a unit load with the item support; controlling the mobile robot carrying the item support to travel to a pick location for receiving the item from a picker; controlling an output device to render an indication of the position for the picker at the pick location; responsive to placement of the item at the position by the picker, controlling the mobile robot to travel to a handling location.

A processing apparatus capable of managing whether a usage state of a tray is a collection state or a delivery state is provided. A processing apparatus includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires latest usage state information including collection and delivery information of the tray; a second acquisition unit that acquires position information of the tray; a third acquisition unit that acquires identification information of the tray which is read by a reading unit provided for each of support units in the shelf and stored in a tag provided in the tray; and an update unit that updates the usage state information of the tray and the position information of the tray associated with the identification information of the tray based on the latest usage state information of the tray, the position information of the tray, and the identification information of the tray.