An object handling system is described, the system having two substantially perpendicular sets of rails forming a grid above a workspace, the workspace having a plurality of stacked containers. The system includes a series of robotic load handling devices operating on the grid above the workspace, the load handling devices having a body mounted on wheels. The robotic devices can move around the grid under instruction from a computing device, the robotic devices being moved to a point on the grid above a stack of containers and then, using a lifting device, engage and lift a container from the stack. The container is then moved to a point where the objects in the container can be accessed. Modifications to the workspace and grid are described that allow vehicles and roll cages to be used to move stacks from the workspace to a point outside the workspace or from outside the workspace into the workspace.

Provided are a parcel sorting system and method. The parcel sorting system is arranged in layers and includes: a parcel sorting layer (10) located on an upper layer of the parcel sorting system, a moveable container carrying layer (11) located on a lower layer of the parcel sorting system, a parcel delivery robot (12) and a control device (13). The parcel sorting layer (10) includes a modular entity platform (101) is a physical platform formed by splicing multiple splicable units and used for sorting parcels. The modular entity platform (101) includes multiple delivery lattices (1011) arranged in an array and a traveling area constituted by gaps between the multiple delivery lattices (1011) and used for the parcel delivery robot (12) traveling. One delivery lattices (1011) corresponds to one or more delivery path directions. The moveable container carrying layer (11) includes multiple moveable containers (110), and a part of the movable containers are located below the multiple delivery lattices (1011) and receive the parcel from the parcel sorting layer (10).

A container accessing station for accessing a storage container of an automated storage and retrieval grid. The container accessing station comprising: an access opening through which a human and/or robot may access contents of the storage container; a base opening; and a lifting device arranged to retrieve the storage container from a first level beneath the base opening and lift it up through the base opening to a second level so that the storage container may be accessed through the access opening.

The invention is also directed to a container accessing system and a method thereof.

A system and method for storage and retrieval are provided. The system includes a multi-level storage structure, and mobile robots configured to pick, transport and place one or more tote, container, or object. This system and method can be used in order-fulfillment applications in which one or more workstations accommodate a picker that transports one or more eaches from a tote on one of the autonomous mobile robots to a put location, and an input/output interface induct material into the system and discharge fulfilled orders from the system. The mobile robots are further configured to move from level to level in the multi-level storage structure via inclined or vertical tracks without requiring a vertical lift or vertical conveyor.

A dynamic storage device includes a storage area, a power carrying and moving device, a carrier group, a carrier detection device, a power transmission device, a gate, a gate detection device, a temporary storage area and a temporary storage area detection device. The storage device further includes a central control system for commanding, controlling, instructing and managing the aforementioned components and managing the information returned from each component. A Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is used to implement the dynamic storage device and the dynamic access management method. The RFID tag is labelled to the carrier instead of the object, and the targets managed by the storage device and dynamic access management method are the carrier and carrier group. Each carrier forming the carrier group records the detailed object information contained in the carrier by the RFID tag, so as to achieve the effects of managing the object.

A method of operating a bin storage system including a plurality of storage columns for the storage of a plurality of vertically-stacked storage bins, and a plurality of robot vehicles for transporting storage bins, the method includes: positioning a cavity of one of the plurality of robot vehicles such that it is aligned with one of the storage columns, receiving a storage bin from the storage column into the cavity, and moving the robot vehicle along the bin storage system, using a plurality of rolling members attached to the vehicle body about the cavity that are arranged for travelling in a first direction and a perpendicular second direction along the bin storage system.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a track system having a first set of parallel tracks and a second set of parallel tracks. The first and second sets of tracks form a grid pattern of grid cells. Storage containers are arranged in storage columns located beneath the track system. Container handling vehicles lift and move storage containers. The container handling vehicles are configured to move laterally on the track system above the storage columns to access the storage containers via grid openings. Each container handling vehicle includes: 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; and a recessed section arranged to accommodate the protruding sections of another container handling vehicle when operating over a neighbouring grid cell.

Power management system for a container-handling vehicle, with a rechargeable power source, for handling storage containers in an automated storage/retrieval system includes a charging station for recharging the rechargeable power source of the container-handling vehicle, a power supply for delivering power to the storage system, a power monitoring device coupled to the power supply, and a control system for controlling the operation of the automated storage/retrieval system. The power monitoring device monitors available power from the power source entering the automated storage/retrieval system and communicate a signal to the control system indicative of the available power. The control system is responsive to that signal and manages power consumption through modifying the operation of the container-handling vehicle and/or the charging station to reduce power consumption of the respective container-handling vehicle and/or the charging station in the event that the signal indicates that the available power has dropped below a threshold level.

The present invention provides a storage system (1) comprising a storage grid structure (104) and multiple container handling vehicles (200,300), the storage grid structure comprises vertical column profiles (102) defining multiple storage columns (105), in which storage containers (106) can be stored one on top of another in vertical stacks (107), and at least one transfer column (119,120), the column profiles are interconnected at their upper ends by top rails (110,111) forming a horizontal top rail grid (108) upon which the container handling vehicles (200,300) may move in two perpendicular directions, the container handling vehicles are able to retrieve storage containers (106) from, and store storage containers in, the storage columns (105), and transport the storage containers on the storage grid structure, wherein the storage grid structure (104) comprises at least one horizontal transfer section (2); and the storage system comprises multiple container transfer vehicles (6) and transfer rails (110′,111) forming a transfer rail grid (5) upon which the container transfer vehicles (6) may move in at least one horizontal direction, and the transfer section (2) is arranged at a level below the top rail grid (108) and extends from an external side (12) of the storage grid structure (104) to a position below the at least one transfer column (119,120) and comprises at least a section of the transfer rail grid (5) upon which section the container transfer vehicles (6) may pass each other and move in two perpendicular horizontal directions; and each of the container transfer vehicles comprises a container carrier (38) for carrying a storage container (106) and a wheel arrangement (32a,32b) for moving the container transfer vehicle (6) in two perpendicular directions upon the transfer rail grid (5); and wherein the at least one transfer column (119,120) extends from the top rail grid (108) to the transfer section (2), such that a storage container (106) may be transferred between the top rail grid (108) and the container carrier of one of the container transfer vehicles (6).

A load handling device is disclosed for use in a storage system in which goods are stored in stackable containers within a framework. An exemplary load handling device can include a container-receiving space into which a plurality of containers can be lifted. The container-receiving space can be arranged beneath a corresponding number of vehicle modules as containers to be lifted, and components such as power components, control components, drive components and lifting components are housed.