An automated package delivery machine, comprising: a housing with auto-lock doors; carousels; and robotic assemblies. The housing may substantially enclose the carousels and the robotic assemblies, and substantially prevents unwanted access to an interior of the housing. Each carousel may comprise a plurality of storage containers, a drive belt, a motor, and one or more rails. The storage containers may each have a plurality of slots, which are configured to accept and contain one or more packages to be delivered to one or more customers. The rails may form a loop track to which the storage containers are slidably engaged. The drive belt, driven by said motor, is configured to slidingly move the storage containers along the rails. The robotic assemblies are configured to remove the packages from the slots and deliver them to an interior side of the auto-lock doors.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a discontinuous plurality of track sections on which an automated carrier may be directed to move, and the automated carrier includes a base structure on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

A merging processing system, method and device. Said method comprises: determining turnover boxes to establish a correlation between the turnover boxes and the collection; box supply lines conveying the turnover boxes from sorting positions to a pickup position; the handling device moving the turnover boxes to a temporary storage region, and uploading to a control center; the control center determining a correlation between the turnover boxes and the temporary storage positions, when it is determined that all the turnover boxes of the collection to be merged are moved to the temporary storage region, controlling the handling device to move the turnover boxes of the collection to be merged to a merging processing station; and the handling device successively moving the turnover boxes corresponding to the same collection to be merged to the merging processing station, and performing merging on the collection to be merged.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes a framework structure and a delivery system. The framework structure includes upright members, horizontal members, and a storage volume comprising storage columns and port columns arranged in rows between the upright members and the horizontal members. A rail system is arranged across the top of framework structure. The rail system includes a first set of parallel rails arranged to guide movement of container handling vehicles in a first direction across the top of the frame structure, and a second set of parallel rails arranged perpendicular to the first set of rails to guide movement of the container handling vehicles in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction, and access openings to the columns, the container handling vehicles being operable to raise a storage container from the storage columns, and transport the storage container above the storage columns to the port column, and lower the storage container into the port column. The delivery system includes at least one conveyor system including a first conveyor and a second conveyor. The first conveyor is located below the rail system and extending from a first end below the port column to a second end below a second column, the first end arranged to receive the storage container through the port column, the first conveyor comprising a first drive device for moving the storage container on the first conveyor between the first and second ends. The second conveyor is aligned with the first conveyor and arranged as an extension of the first conveyor. The second conveyor has a first end positioned adjacent the first end of the first conveyor and a second end positioned outside an outer periphery of the framework structure. The second conveyor includes a second drive device for moving the storage container on the second conveyor between its first and seconds ends. The at least one conveyor system is arranged for returning the storage container through the port column by moving the storage container from the second end of the second conveyor to the first end of the first conveyor via the second end of the first conveyor.

A refrigerator is an example of a storage cabinet, and includes a door sensor, a weight sensor, a wireless tag reader, a memory, and a microcomputer. The microcomputer identifies an ID that is not readable by the wireless tag reader after a timing at which a weight increase is detected by the weight sensor in a first period, as an ID of a newly loaded food item, the first period being a period from when a door is opened to when the door is closed that is determined based on a result of detection performed by the door sensor, and adds the identified ID to registration information that is stored in the memory.

A lift system for an automated storage system of the type where storage containers are stacked in storage columns arranged in a grid, and where automated container handling vehicles retrieve and replace containers from a top level of the grid. The lift system has a platform vertically movable adjacent to a face of the grid, arranged for receiving and transporting one or more containers. A dedicated mechanical device is arranged for grabbing, lifting and moving the storage containers from a staging area at the top of the grid and placing containers on the platform and vice versa.

A container transferring system autonomously transfers a container between a product processing machine and a container storage position. The system includes an automated guided vehicle (AGV) container transferring subsystem, and a machine side container conveying subsystem. The machine side conveying subsystem is arranged adjacent the product processing machine and receives empty containers from the AGV container transferring subsystem and transmits a full container to the AGV container transferring subsystem. The AGV container transferring subsystem docks with the machine side container conveying subsystem at a first docking position and moves autonomously between the first docking position and the container storage position to transport the empty container from the container storage position to the machine side container conveying subsystem, and transport the full container from the machine side container conveying subsystem to the container storage position.

An automated storage system for receiving, storing, and dispensing items is herein proposed. The system has an enclosure, which defines a storage volume, and a port which selectively connects the storage volume to the ambient space for deposit and retrieval of items. The system also includes a plurality of containers for containing at least one item being stored as well as a support structure for supporting the plurality of containers in the storage volume. The containers feature a base, an envelope extending from the base, and an opening opposing the base and providing access to an inner volume defined by the base and envelope for containing at least one item. The system includes a manipulator for transporting the containers between an access position at the port and a storage position at the support structure. Finally, the system includes a one-sided attachment interface between the container and the support structure for removably attach the container to the support structure in the storage position, in which the opening of the container is above the base.

An automated carrier system is disclosed for moving objects to be processed. The automated carrier system includes a discontinuous plurality of track sections on which an automated carrier may be directed to move, and the automated carrier includes a base structure on which an object may be supported, and at least two wheels assemblies being pivotally supported on the base structure for pivoting movement from a first position to a second position to effect a change in direction of movement of the carrier.

A factory interface for an electronic device manufacturing system can include a load lock disposed within the interior volume of a factory interface and a factory interface robot disposed within the interior volume of the factory interface. The factory interface robot can be configured to transfer substrates between a first set of substrate carriers and the first load lock. The factory interface robot can comprise a vertical tower, a plurality of links, and an end effector.