A storage and retrieval system including a vertical array of storage levels, each storage level having, picking aisles, storage locations, disposed within the picking aisles, and at least one transfer deck providing access to the picking aisles, a multilevel vertical conveyor system configured to transport the uncontained case units to and from the vertical array of storage levels, each storage level being configured to receive uncontained case units from the multilevel vertical conveyor system, at least one autonomous transport located on each storage level for transporting the uncontained case units between respective storage locations and the multilevel vertical conveyor system, and a controller configured to create a primary access path through the transfer decks and picking aisles to a predetermined one of the storage locations and at least one secondary access path to the predetermined one of the storage locations when the primary path is impassable.

Embodiments of product handling systems facilitate transfer of individual product items from incoming bulk form into dedicated trays for inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging. Inspection may comprise interrogation of product items within a tray by electromagnetic (e.g., optical, hyperspectral) or other (e.g., physical, acoustic, gas sensing, etc.) techniques. Prior to packaging, product items disposed within the tray may be stored in a moveable carousel responsible for controlling environmental factors such as temperature, humidity, illumination, ambient gases, product-to-product interactions, and/or others. Movement of product items from a carousel's transfer station to an outside staging position may be accomplished using robots and/or conveyor belts. Embodiments may allow rapid, low-cost consumer selection of specific individual product items based upon their accompanying metadata (e.g., source, identifier), in combination with the results of inspection (e.g., visual appearance). Embodiments may receive product items pre-packaged in tray format to expedite inspection, sorting, selection, and packaging.

Automated cold storage unit and systems for storing, monitoring, and maintaining a supply of temperature sensitive pharmaceutical and/or other products in compliance with regulatory requirements are provided. Such units contain an array of independently addressable holding locations for containers with product in one or more controlled temperature zones fitted with temperature sensors. The units include a reader to track product information and status. Product movement within the unit is performed by a computer-controlled robot. A user interface device, preferably in communication with an application service provider to provide remotely managed inventory management and other services, provides users with secure access to the contents of the unit and associated product data and information.

Provided a full-automatic wheel hub feeding-blanking system for intelligent production line of automotive wheel hubs, comprising: an intelligent material rack and a robot; the intelligent material rack comprises a bracket assembly, a turntable assembly and a bearing seat assembly; the turntable assembly being rotatable is mounted on the bearing seat assembly; the bracket assembly mounted on the turntable assembly comprises a base provided with at least one group of lifting devices, and each the group comprises three the lifting devices, and each of which an automotive wheel hub supporting plate assembly is provided on, central axis of the three automotive wheel hub supporting plate assemblies forming the angle of 120 degrees; the robot being mounted on one side of the intelligent material rack and comprises a robotic arm, and a manipulator is mounted on the robotic arm, and the manipulator is used for clamping the automotive wheel hub.

A storage grid for storing storage containers includes a plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks distributed vertically with vertical offsets. The plurality of horizontal container supporting frameworks includes a first container supporting framework and at least one second container supporting framework arranged beneath and parallel to the first container supporting framework. Each of the first and the at least one second container supporting frameworks includes a plurality of container supports arranged in parallel along a first direction. Each container support displays at least one hole with an opening size being at least a maximum horizontal cross section of the storage containers to be stored. The at least one hole of the first container supporting framework are aligned vertically with the at least one hole of the at least one second container supporting framework. At least two of the plurality of container supports of the at least one second container supporting framework are displaceable along a second direction orthogonal to the first direction.

A system including a controller, and at least two agents that communicatively access the controller. At least one of the agents is a robot. The system includes at least one processor communicatively coupled to the agents, and at least one storage device, communicatively coupled to the processor(s), that stores processor-executable instructions which, when executed, cause the processor(s) to: receive first job set of instructions provided by the controller, for a first agent included in at least two agents; and send, on behalf of the first agent, a sham status message before actual completion of the first job. The processor-executable instructions may, when executed, further cause the at least one processor to: update a data store to reflect the first job set of instructions; and receive for a second one of the at least two agents a second job set of instructions before completion of the first job.

The present disclosure provides cryogenic storage systems and methods of using the cryogenic storage systems. A cryogenic storage system of the present disclosure may comprise a cryogenic tank with an inner door and an outer door, and a robot apparatus located adjacent to the cryogenic tank. The cryogenic tank may store multiple racks such that at most a single rack is removable through the inner door or the outer door. The cryogenic tank may store the multiple racks in multiple groups of racks comprising a first group of racks located at a first radial distance and a second group of racks located at a second radial distance that is greater than the first radial distance. The robot apparatus may selectively open and close the inner or outer doors, and insert or withdraw the single rack into or out of the cryogenic tank through the inner door or the outer door.

A sorting device for sorting piece goods in end locations includes a plurality of horizontal conveyors, which are arranged one above another and are configured as conveyor belts, for conveying the piece goods in a circuit, wherein the conveyors are configured to move the piece goods perpendicularly to the conveying direction of the circuit. The sorting device also includes a plurality of end locations, wherein the end locations are arranged along the conveyors in such a manner that the piece goods can be transported into the end locations by the movement perpendicularly to the conveying direction. The piece goods are transported from the conveyor into the end location only by the conveyor.

A method for dispensing discrete medicaments with a dispensing device includes the steps of predicting a depletion time in the future when the medicaments in the container of a first feeder unit of the plurality of feeder units will be depleted or are past their expiry date; providing a notification ahead of said depletion time that a second feeder unit holding medicaments with the same composition as the first feeder unit needs to be presented to the dispensing device, together with a due time for presenting said second feeder unit to the dispensing device; and continuing the dispensing of the medicaments from the first feeder unit at least until the due time.

A method for dispensing discrete medicaments with a first feeder unit includes the steps of determining a remaining value indicative of the amount of the medicaments remaining in the container; comparing said remaining value to a threshold value; making a selection between a complete empty detection mode when said remaining value is above the threshold value and a shortened empty detection mode when the remaining value is below the threshold value; and executing the selected one of the complete empty detection mode and the shortened empty detection mode when no medicament is fed from the container towards the outlet after controlling the dispensing mechanism to feed a medicament from the container into the outlet.