The present invention makes an instruction for causing a transport robot to carry out transport easier for a person to understand. A transport system (1) is such that an address indicating a transport destination or a transport source is represented by a tree structure including a node indicating loading locations and a node indicating equipment to which the loading locations are provided, and when the address of the transport destination indicates equipment, a transport robot (20) sequentially loads objects to be transported in accordance with a preset loading priority order in loading locations where no objects to be transported have been loaded, from among the loading locations belonging to that equipment.

An automated warehouse includes shelves, a carrier, an elevator, and a controller. The shelves include a first shelf storing a first article and a second shelf which is larger than the first shelf and stores the first article and the second article. The carrier is provided at each shelf and transfers articles. The elevator moves articles up or down. When the vacancy rate of the second shelf is equal to or more than the predetermined ratio, the controller controls the carrier and the elevator to store the first article onto the second shelf. When the vacancy rate of the second shelf is less than the predetermined ratio, the controller controls the carrier and the elevator to store the first article only onto the first shelf.

In an embodiment, a method includes determining a given material to manipulate to achieve a goal state. The goal state can be one or more deformable or granular materials in a particular arrangement. The method further includes, for the given material, determining, a respective outcome for each of a plurality of candidate actions to manipulate the given material. The determining can be performed with a physics-based model, in one embodiment. The method further can include determining a given action of the candidate actions, where the outcome of the given action reaching the goal state is within at least one tolerance. The method further includes, based on a selected action of the given actions, generating a first motion plan for the selected action.

In an embodiment, a method includes determining a given material to manipulate to achieve a goal state. The goal state can be one or more deformable or granular materials in a particular arrangement. The method further includes, for the given material, determining, a respective outcome for each of a plurality of candidate actions to manipulate the given material. The determining can be performed with a physics-based model, in one embodiment. The method further can include determining a given action of the candidate actions, where the outcome of the given action reaching the goal state is within at least one tolerance. The method further includes, based on a selected action of the given actions, generating a first motion plan for the selected action.

A method and apparatus for dispensing and retrieving products is provided. A system may include: a grasping head; first and second grasping members, each grasping member comprising: a top member; a post member; and first and second grasping fingers, where the first and second grasping fingers extend from the post member and are spaced apart from the top member by a predetermined distance, where the first and second grasping members are connected to the grasping head, where at least one of the first and second grasping members is movably connected to the grasping head, where the at least one of the first and second grasping members is movable relative to the other of the first and second grasping members.

A method and apparatus for dispensing and retrieving products is provided. A system may include: a grasping head; first and second grasping members, each grasping member comprising: a top member; a post member; and first and second grasping fingers, where the first and second grasping fingers extend from the post member and are spaced apart from the top member by a predetermined distance, where the first and second grasping members are connected to the grasping head, where at least one of the first and second grasping members is movably connected to the grasping head, where the at least one of the first and second grasping members is movable relative to the other of the first and second grasping members.

A charging system for autonomous transport vehicles including at least one charging contact disposed on each pick floor level of a storage and retrieval system, each of the at least one charging contact being located at a transfer station, at least one power supply configured to supply power to the at least one charging contact, and a controller in communication with the transfer station and being configured to communicate information relating to a transfer of items between the transfer station and a predetermined one of the autonomous transport vehicles and to apply power from the power supply to the at least one charging contact for charging the predetermined autonomous transport vehicle corresponding to the transfer and located at the transfer station, wherein the controller is configured to supply power to the charging contacts simultaneously with the predetermined autonomous transport vehicle exchanging items related to the transfer at the transfer station.

A shelf space allocation management device manages products allocated on shelves in a store by use of an imaging device. The shelf space allocation management device acquires an image including a position assumed to be changed in allocation status of each product on each shelf; it determines whether each product reflected in the image matches one of pre-recorded images, thus executing a product allocation inspection. Herein, the shelf space allocation management device specifies a position at which a person causes any change in the allocation status of each product on each shelf, and therefore it may control the imaging device to capture an image including the position. It is possible to carry out a product allocation inspection for each period determined in advance depending on the type of each product, or it is possible to carry out a product allocation inspection being triggered by a customer purchasing each product.

A shelf space allocation management device manages products allocated on shelves in a store by use of an imaging device. The shelf space allocation management device acquires an image including a position assumed to be changed in allocation status of each product on each shelf; it determines whether each product reflected in the image matches one of pre-recorded images, thus executing a product allocation inspection. Herein, the shelf space allocation management device specifies a position at which a person causes any change in the allocation status of each product on each shelf, and therefore it may control the imaging device to capture an image including the position. It is possible to carry out a product allocation inspection for each period determined in advance depending on the type of each product, or it is possible to carry out a product allocation inspection being triggered by a customer purchasing each product.

A system for sequencing a preparing station that sequences loads coming from an external unit via an entering outbound conveyor. The system includes a paternoster, a buffer location and a managing unit, which processes each load that comes to an entrance of the paternoster according to one of the following modes (selected as a function of a place desired for the load in a sequence): (a) after introduction into the paternoster, the load undergoes a bypass transfer between two nacelles positioned face to face and then presented to an exiting outbound conveyor; (b) after introduction into the paternoster, the load undergoes a buffer transfer towards a given buffer location and then subsequently re-positioned again in the paternoster and finally presented to the exiting outbound conveyor; (c) after introduction into the paternoster, the load is transported therein without bypass transfer or buffer transfer and then presented to the exiting outbound conveyor.