A pack wall carton selection and replenishment system comprising: a delivery cart with a delivery cart controller configured to receive information representing a replenishment shipping carton to be retrieved from a shipping carton supply area and delivered to a pack wall, provide for retrieving one or more shipping cartons from the shipping carton supply area, actuate a cart indicator assembly to identify a cart partition where to place the retrieved shipping cartons on the delivery cart, actuate a delivery cart indicator assembly to identify the replenishment shipping carton to be placed on the pack wall; and, a pack wall controller in communication with the delivery cart controller configured to receive an order item information, actuate a first pack wall indicator assembly to indicate a desired shipping carton to be used for packing an items represented by the order item information.

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.

A storage system configured to house a plurality of containers housing inventory items includes support members, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot, and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the fluid supply line. Each of the valves having a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the environment such that the supply line is configured to supply fluid to a mobile, manipulator robot. Mobile, manipulator robots for retrieving inventory items stored within the containers and retrieval methods are also disclosed herein.

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.

A storage system configured to house a plurality of containers housing inventory items includes support members, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot, and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the fluid supply line. Each of the valves having a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the environment such that the supply line is configured to supply fluid to a mobile, manipulator robot. Mobile, manipulator robots for retrieving inventory items stored within the containers and retrieval methods are also disclosed herein.

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 stacked on top of one another to form stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns below the first and second guiding systems. Each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening of a plurality of adjacent grid cells, the grid cells forming a grid pattern in the horizontal plane. The vehicle includes a lifting device for picking up storage containers from the storage columns to a position above the highest level of the storage columns. The lifting device 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 a transport mechanism for transporting the vehicle along the first and second guiding systems in the first and second directions. The vehicle includes at least one reader and the system further includes a storage container with at least one label. The at least one label includes storage container information. The at least one reader is configured to read the at least one label such as to identify the storage container. The at least one reader is arranged on the lifting frame of the vehicle and is power and signally connected to onboard controls and communications systems of the vehicle via cables arranged in the lifting bands.

The invention refers to a picking device (1) for picking articles, in particular for a storage lift (3), with at least one operating area (5) for an operator (7), with at least one work area (9) for picking, and with at least one projection device (15) for at least temporarily marking a location (17) at least in the work area (9). The invention also refers to a method for picking. In order to improve the ergonomics for the operator and the efficiency of picking, it is provided according to the invention that the picking device (1) has, during operation, at least one image (19) which can be viewed from the operating area (5) and is virtually located in the work area (9).

An aspect of the invention pertains to technically supporting a manual order picking process. A user executes order picking steps, which are output to the user as handling instructions. The handling instructions originate from a management server. One or more order picking steps specify the removal and/or depositing of objects in a storage location by the user. A sensor device in a mobile unit acquires sensor data, based on which the effected execution of a respective order picking step is determined. The mobile unit is carried on an arm, hand, foot, or leg of the user with a fastening means. Data that is based on the sensor data of the sensor device is transmitted via a wireless data interface, whereupon the management server is informed of the effected execution of the respective order picking step. Information on the manual order picking process is output to the user by data glasses.

A system for managing a paper roll includes an IC tag for long distance that is a non-contact passive type mounted on each of a plurality of paper rolls; a transmitter that transmits a radio wave toward the plurality of paper rolls; a receiver that receives a response radio wave from each of the paper rolls for the transmitted radio wave; a control device including a tag position calculation unit that calculates a three-dimensional position of the IC tag which has emitted the response radio wave, based on information regarding the received response radio wave; and a storage unit that stores three-dimensional position information of each of the plurality of paper rolls from information regarding the calculated three-dimensional position and paper information, which is specific to each of the paper rolls, as linked information.

A control unit is provided to improve positioning of transporting devices to thereby allow transporting devices to be driven at faster speeds and/or accelerations with minimal positional errors allowing for a reduction in the spacing between transporting devices. A control unit is arranged to control movement of at least one transporting device for containers stored in a facility having a plurality of pathways arranged in cells so as to form a grid-like structure above the stacks which extends in a first direction and in a second direction. The control unit includes a receiving unit arranged to receive information from a first sensor mounted on the at least one transporting device, and a calculating unit arranged to calculate a position of the at least one transporting device based on the receiPved information.