An automatic storage and retrieval system is disclosed including storage positions for storing containers, a portal and mobile robots for transferring the containers between the storage positions and portal. The portal may include a bot-access side where the mobile robots transfer containers to and from the portal, and a user-access side where users remove items from the containers.

An automatic storage and retrieval system is disclosed including storage positions for storing containers, a portal and mobile robots for transferring the containers between the storage positions and portal. The portal may include a bot-access side where the mobile robots transfer containers to and from the portal, and a user-access side where users remove items from the containers.

An apparatus for storage of a carrying material, includes: a body frame; a plurality of loading members installed on the body frame and disposed such that a carrying material forms a plurality of layers in upper and lower directions; a driving unit connected to at least one of the plurality of loading members; and an auxiliary coupling unit provided in a portion of the plurality of loading members for attachment and detachment to and from a neighboring loading member, wherein the plurality of loading members are provided with a plurality of first loading members fixedly installed at a lower end portion of the body frame, and a plurality of second loading members disposed above the first loading member and movably installed on the body frame, wherein the driving unit is connected to at least one of the plurality of second loading members, wherein the auxiliary coupling unit includes an electromagnet installed at one end of the second loading members, and a magnetic body installed at the other end of the second loading members and the body frame to correspond to the electromagnet.

A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.

A pickface builder for a storage and retrieval system for storing goods units and having an in-feed conveyor and a picking device, each goods unit holding at least one product package therein, the pickface builder including a frame, a pusher member movably coupled to the frame, and a snugger member movably coupled to the frame, wherein the pickface builder is configured to receive goods units from the in-feed conveyor and the pusher member and snugger member are movable at least in a direction transverse to a direction of goods unit travel on the in-feed conveyor and configured to form the goods units into a pickface picked by the picking device as a unit and having a predetermined reference datum relating the pickface to a placement position of goods units forming the pickface along a storage surface of the storage and retrieval system.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method of autonomous Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) comprising a fully autonomous growing environment. More specifically, disclosed herein is an apparatus and method in which a plurality of frame assembly may be stored and manipulated within a track assembly that is configured within a rack through the motivational input a carriage-mounted manipulators. Each frame assembly is configured to be coupled to an adjacent frame assembly supported by the track assembly by at least one coupler disposed on a forward end and a rearward end of each frame assembly. With the frame assembly including a low friction bearing surface to orient within a track assembly, it may be configured to satisfy various utilities necessary within the farm, such as but not limited to the housing grow media for the cultivation or the housing of electromechanical systems.

Disclosed herein is an apparatus and method of autonomous Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) comprising a fully autonomous growing environment. More specifically, disclosed herein is an apparatus and method in which a plurality of frame assembly may be stored and manipulated within a track assembly that is configured within a rack through the motivational input a carriage-mounted manipulators. Each frame assembly is configured to be coupled to an adjacent frame assembly supported by the track assembly by at least one coupler disposed on a forward end and a rearward end of each frame assembly. With the frame assembly including a low friction bearing surface to orient within a track assembly, it may be configured to satisfy various utilities necessary within the farm, such as but not limited to the housing grow media for the cultivation or the housing of electromechanical systems.

A storage and retrieval system employing a gridded three-dimensional storage structure features workstations served by the same robotic vehicle fleet that serves the storage structure, travel-through workstations using the same robotic vehicles to carry storage units through the workstation without hand-off to any other conveyor or handler, internal sortation using orchestrated navigation of the robotic vehicles to workstation intake points, sensors on the robotic vehicles to confirm proper loading and alignment of storage units thereon, lifting mechanisms for raising the robotic vehicles into shafts of the gridded three-dimensional storage structure from a lower track thereof, use of markers and scanners to align the robotic vehicles with the grid shafts, and workstation light curtains for hand safety, pick-counting and container content protrusion detection.

A method for transporting structural elements of packagings includes transferring a group of structural elements to a holding device, wherein each structural element of the group of structural elements is received by an associated holding element of the holding device after the transfer, and adjusting the holding elements relative to each other such that the structural elements of the group of structural elements received by the holding elements are disposed before the adjusting in a first format in which the structural elements of the group of structural elements are arranged in a plan view in a first spacing grid relative to each other, and are disposed after the adjusting in a second format in which the structural elements of the group of structural elements are arranged in the plan view in a second spacing grid relative to each other, the second spacing grid being different from the first spacing grid.

A method for transporting structural elements of packagings includes transferring a group of structural elements to a holding device, wherein each structural element of the group of structural elements is received by an associated holding element of the holding device after the transfer, and adjusting the holding elements relative to each other such that the structural elements of the group of structural elements received by the holding elements are disposed before the adjusting in a first format in which the structural elements of the group of structural elements are arranged in a plan view in a first spacing grid relative to each other, and are disposed after the adjusting in a second format in which the structural elements of the group of structural elements are arranged in the plan view in a second spacing grid relative to each other, the second spacing grid being different from the first spacing grid.