A carrier for transporting goods includes a supporting mechanism, a lifting mechanism, a first detection component, and a controller. The supporting mechanism includes at least one entrance and connected to a mobile robot. The lifting mechanism includes a lifting driving member and a bearing part. The lifting driving member is arranged on the supporting mechanism, and the bearing part is arranged on the lifting driving member to be driven to be elevated or lowered by the lifting driving member. The first detection component is arranged on the bearing part and is located in front of the at least one entrance for detecting a position of the goods. The controller is arranged on the supporting mechanism and is respectively communicatively connected with the lifting driving member, the first detection component, and the mobile robot. A mobile lifting conveyor having the carrier is also provided.

A direction switching module for lift robots using a pair of pinions coupled to a rack for propelling vertically and horizontally according to the track's orientation, is disclosed. In a linear motion mode both pinions rotate in the same velocity. In a direction switching mode, when changing from vertical to horizontal motion mode and vise versa, the module is capable of propelling one pinion on a vertical track and its counterpart on a horizontal track, simultaneously, each pinion in a different velocity. A bogie propelled by two pairs of said module is also disclosed, and a controller configured to drive both pinions in same velocity during linear motion and each pinion in a separate appropriate velocity during the direction switching mode. A method for turning a pinion-driven lift-robot in an intersection of rails and a controller for controlling the linear motion modes and the direction switching modes of the lift robot are also disclosed.

A collision simulation test apparatus including a table to which a test piece is to be attached, the table being movable in a predetermined direction, a toothed belt for transmitting power to drive the table, a drive module capable of driving the toothed belt, and a control part capable of controlling the drive module. The control part is capable of controlling the drive module to generate an impact to be applied to the test piece, and the impact generated by the drive module is transmitted to the table by the toothed belt.

A mobile lifting apparatus has a platform coupled to elongated lifting arms arranged in a crossed configuration with a hinge at center portions of the lifting arms which allows the lifting arms to rotate in a crossed scissor manner when the platform is raised or lowered. The lower ends of the lift arms are coupled to automatic guided vehicles which move towards each other to raise the platform and move away from each other to lower the platform. A locking mechanism coupled to the lifting arms is actuated to prevent movement of the lifting arms to lock the height of the platform.

A system for delivering an article from a first location to a second location with a robot having a closeable transport container for housing the article during transport. A closeable recipient container is provided at the second location for receiving the article. At least one computer configured to navigate the robot over an outdoor transportation network between locations is provided. The robot has a robot article transport mechanism controlled by the at least one computer for removing the article from the transport container and the recipient container has a recipient article transport mechanism for moving the article inside the recipient container.

A vehicle tilting device for tilting a delivery vehicle for increasing access to items from a storage container transported on the delivery vehicle. The vehicle tilting device comprises a base structure and a tiltable platform connected to the base structure, wherein the tiltable platform comprises guiding features adapted to guide the delivery vehicle onto the tiltable platform. The tiltable platform is arranged to be connected to a delivery grid cell of a delivery rail system such that that there is a path to and/or from the tiltable platform for the delivery vehicle via the delivery grid cell. The invention is also related to an access station, a delivery system and a method of accessing a storage container.

A materials handling vehicle includes a camera, odometry module, processor, and drive mechanism. The camera captures images of an identifier for a racking system aisle and a rack leg portion in the aisle. The processor uses the identifier to generate information indicative of an initial rack leg position and rack leg spacing in the aisle, generate an initial vehicle position using the initial rack leg position, generate a vehicle odometry-based position using odometry data and the initial vehicle position, detect a subsequent rack leg using a captured image, correlate the detected subsequent rack leg with an expected vehicle position using rack leg spacing, generate an odometry error signal based on a difference between the positions, and update the vehicle odometry-based position using the odometry error signal and/or generated mast sway compensation to use for end of aisle protection and/or in/out of aisle localization.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include automated guided vehicles (AGVs) having a broadcasting system. In one embodiment, the self-driving system includes a body having one or more motorized wheels, a console coupled in an upright position to an end of the body, and a broadcasting system disposed at the console and is operable to send a notification to one or more mobile devices, wherein the broadcasting system uses a first type of positioning system and the one or more mobile devices use a second type of positioning system different from the first type of positioning system.

An automated temperature-controlled outdoor terminal for storage and handover of online grocery orders allowing simultaneous operation of two transactions and a method to operate the terminal is described here.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide adaptive autonomous guided vehicles capable of performing a myriad of specialized task operations. Some embodiments include a base vehicle, a vertical carousel including at least one carousel conveyor shelf, where the vertical carousel is affixable to a top of the based vehicle, and a rotatable top conveyor affixable to a top of the vertical carousel. Some embodiments include processing circuitry communicatively coupled to with each of the base vehicle, the vertical carousel, and the rotatable top conveyor, where the processing circuitry executes computer-coded instructions that at least partially cause the processing circuitry to control each of the base vehicle, the vertical carousel, and/or the rotatable top conveyor. The processing circuitry controls such components to perform any of a number of specific task operations. Some embodiments align multiple adaptive autonomous guided vehicles that interact to perform specific task operation(s).