An automated storage and retrieval system includes an isolating housing having walls and a roof, one or more openable and closable housing openings or hatches arranged in the roof of the isolating housing, a rail system arranged above the roof, a storage tower arranged inside the isolating housing, and an automated control system. The isolating housing is arranged to isolate goods stored within the isolating housing from an outside environment. The goods are stored in storage containers. One or more wheeled container handling vehicles may travel upon the rail system. The container handling vehicles include a lifting device for lifting and lowering containers. The rail system is at least arranged such that a container handling vehicle may be positioned with its lifting device positioned above a hatch. The storage tower is accessible to the container handling vehicle or vehicles though a hatch. The storage tower includes a plurality of vertically stacked container supports, a displacement device for horizontally moving container supports in order to align the opening of vertically adjacent container supports to form a tower port beneath a hatch, and a displacement device for horizontally moving a target container support in order to position a target container at the bottom of the tower port. The container supports are in the form of horizontally movable shelves upon which may rest a plurality of storage containers. The container supports have a lateral width corresponding to a plurality of container spaces and a longitudinal length corresponding to a plurality of container spaces, thereby defining a plurality of lateral rows of container spaces. One or more of the container spaces of a lateral row is an opening corresponding in size to a storage container such that storage containers may pass therethrough. The container handling vehicle may lower its lifting device though the hatch, down the tower port, and access the target container.

A safety system for an automated storage and picking system is described. The storage system includes load handling devices operating above a series of stacked containers located within a framework, the top of which includes tracks on which the load handling devices operate. The safety system includes a transmitter located in close proximity to the storage system and a receiver located on each of the load handling devices. The transmitter can continually transmit a signal that is detected by the receivers on the load handling devices. In the event of an emergency or a breach of the storage system, the transmission of the signal is cut. Once the receiver no longer receives the signal from the transmitter, power to each load handling device drive is cut to render the storage system safe.

A processing system for processing objects using a programmable motion device is disclosed. The processing system includes a plurality of supply bins providing supply of a plurality of objects, with the plurality of supply bins being provided with a bin conveyance system, a programmable motion device in communication with the bin conveyance system, where the programmable motion device includes an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object out of a selected supply bin, and a movable carriage for receiving the selected object from the end effector of the programmable motion device, and for carrying the selected object to one of a plurality of destination containers.

A container handling vehicle for picking up storage containers from a three-dimensional grid of an underlying storage system includes a first set of wheels, arranged at opposite portions of a vehicle body of the container handling vehicle, for moving the vehicle along a first direction on a rail system of the grid; and a second set of wheels, arranged at opposite portions of the vehicle body, for moving the vehicle along a second direction on the rail system of the grid. The second direction is being perpendicular to the first direction. The vehicle body includes walls on all sides forming a footprint defined by horizontal peripheries in the first and second directions of the vehicle body. The container handling vehicle further includes a first section and a second section arranged side-by-side such that a centre point of a footprint of the first section is arranged off centre relative a centre point of the footprint of the vehicle body, and a size ratio of the footprint of the first section relative a footprint of the second section is at least 2:1. The first section is configured to accommodate a storage container, and the second section includes an assembly of motors for driving at least one wheel of each of the sets of wheels.

A storage system is described where goods are stored in containers and the containers are stored in stacks. Above the stacks runs a grid network of tracks on which load handling devices run. The load handling devices take containers from the stacks and deposit then at alternative locations in the stacks or deposit then at stations where goods may be picked out. The containers comprise liners formed from flame retardant or flame suppressant material. Containers comprising liner means are used to store ignitable items within the storage system.

A system and method for controlling movement of transporting devices arranged to transport containers, the containers being stored in stacks arranged in a facility. A facility having pathways arranged in a grid-like structure above stacks, the transporting devices being configured to operate on the grid-like structure. A control unit configured to determine at least one task to be performed by at least one transporting device, wherein the at least one task is determined based on at least one of: transporting device battery condition, transporting device damage, transporting device maintenance issues, and transporting device service issues.

The present invention relates to automated storage and retrieval system comprising: a track system comprising a first set of parallel tracks arranged in a horizontal plane and extending in a first direction, and a second set of parallel tracks arranged in the horizontal plane and extending in a second direction which is orthogonal to the first direction, which first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern in the horizontal plane comprising a plurality of adjacent grid cells, each comprising a grid opening defined by a pair of adjacent tracks of the first set of tracks and a pair of adjacent tracks of the second set of tracks; a plurality of stacks of storage containers arranged in storage columns located beneath the track system, wherein each storage column is located vertically below a grid opening; a plurality of container handling vehicles for lifting and moving storage containers stacked in the stacks, the container handling vehicles being configured to move laterally on the track system above the storage columns to access the storage containers via the grid openings, wherein each of the plurality of container handling vehicles has a footprint with a horizontal extension which is equal to or less than the horizontal extension of a grid cell and comprises: a wheel assembly for guiding the container handling vehicle along the track system and a container-receiving storage space arranged within the footprint of the container handling vehicle for accommodating a storage container. Each container handling vehicle comprises a protruding section which extends horizontally beyond the footprint of the container handling vehicle and, when the container handling vehicle is positioned above a grid cell, into a neighbouring grid cell. The present invention also relates to a container handling vehicle for such an automated storage and retrieval system.

A controller determines, when a traveling vehicle to proceed in a first direction from a predetermined cell toward a destination is present, whether or not to grant the traveling vehicle occupation permission for a cell adjacent to the predetermined cell in the first direction. The traveling vehicle proceeds in the first direction if occupation permission for the adjacent cell has been granted from the controller, whereas the traveling vehicle stops at the predetermined cell if occupation permission has not been granted. The controller assigns to the traveling vehicle a traveling instruction in which a cell situated at a plurality of cells ahead of the predetermined cell in the second direction is designated as a waypoint to the destination if the traveling vehicle has not obtained occupation permission for the adjacent cell and has continuously been in a stop state at the predetermined cell for a predetermined period of time.

A grid framework structure for supporting a load handling device operative to move one or more containers in a stack. The grid framework structure includes plural upright columns arranged to form plurality of vertical storage locations for containers to be stacked between upright columns. The columns are interconnected at their top ends by a first set of grid members and a second set of grid members, the second set running transversely to the first set to form a grid structure. A sub-group of upright columns rigidly joined together by at least one bracing assembly of diagonal braces form a braced tower. The sub-group of upright columns includes three upright columns with two of the three upright columns being laterally disposed either side of a middle upright column, and being rigidly connected to the middle upright column by the diagonal braces.

An automated cryogenic storage system includes a freezer and an automation system to provide automated transfer of samples to and from the freezer. The freezer includes a bearing and a drive shaft though the freezer, the drive shaft being coupled to a rack carrier inside the freezer and adapted to be coupled to a motor. The automation module includes a rack puller that is automatically positioned above an access port of the freezer. The rack puller engages with a sample rack within the freezer, and elevates the rack into an insulating sleeve external to the freezer. From the insulating sleeve, samples can be added to and removed from the sample rack before it is returned to the freezer.