A flowline system for processing food products includes a feeding conveyor is provided for conveying the food products to be processed, a plurality of workstations are arranged along the feeding conveyor, a diverter associated with each of the plurality of workstations for diverting food products from the feeding conveyor to the workstations, and a takeaway conveyor assembly. Each workstation comprises a release mechanism configured to receive a food product after being processed and to transfer the processed food product onto the takeaway conveyor assembly, and where a control unit is provided to allocate a slot length on the takeaway conveyor assembly in accordance to a length of the processed food product.

There is disclosed a method of passengers (118) claiming their baggage pieces (115) at an aircraft baggage claim area (106) of an airport. In order e.g. to provide such method which improves usage and availability and user experience in view of reference systems, the method includes providing (706) a plurality of destinations (16) at the aircraft baggage claim area of the airport and along each of two lateral sides (112), (114) of the material handling equipment, and choosing (708) towards which of the two lateral sides (112), (114) the one or more pieces of aircraft baggage (15) should be automatically and actively discharged into at least one of the plurality of destinations (116). The method further includes actively discharging (710) the one or more pieces of aircraft baggage (115) from the material handling equipment and into at least one of the destinations (116), and that the one or more aircraft passengers (118) are claiming (712) the one or more pieces of aircraft baggage (115) paired with the one or more aircraft passengers at the at least one destination when the one or more pieces of aircraft baggage is at rest and has stopped moving.

Embodiments of the present invention pertain to an apparatus and method for automatic blade and razor for use in plant trimming. Embodiments of the present invention provides enhanced capabilities as a result of integrating robotic features, automations, artificial intelligence, queuing, fault control, automatic transport, scalability, safety measures, smaller footprint, and other computerized functions, along with a creative business model. In design of this invention the following high-level requirements were achieved: scalable for small, medium, and large businesses; safer than other machines in the market; sanitation consideration; simplicity in maintenance, and automated functions to reduce the need for labor (e.g., integration of robotics, AI, and/or other computerized systems).

Embodiments according to the present invention relate to a modular plant trimming system and method that provides enhanced capabilities as a result of integrating robotic features, automations, artificial intelligence, queuing, fault control, automatic transport, scalability, safety measures, smaller footprint, and other computerized functions, along with a creative business model. In design of this invention the following high-level requirements were achieved: scalable for small, medium, and large businesses; safer than other machines in the market; sanitation consideration; simplicity in maintenance, and automated functions to reduce the need for labor (e.g., integration of robotics, AI, and/or other computerized systems).

In one embodiment, a sortation system at a facility has a conveyor system and a mobile drive unit system. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that transfers payloads to the mobile drive units, and a controller that communicates a payload identifier for each payload to the mobile drive unit system. The payload identifiers are masked such that information about the local destinations are unknown to the conveyor system. The mobile drive unit system determines the local destinations from the payload identifiers by unmasking the payload identifiers, and delivers the payloads to determined local destinations at the facility.

In one embodiment, a sortation system at a facility has a conveyor system and a mobile drive unit system. The conveyor system has a conveyor surface that transfers payloads to the mobile drive units, and a controller that communicates a payload identifier for each payload to the mobile drive unit system. The payload identifiers are masked such that information about the local destinations are unknown to the conveyor system. The mobile drive unit system determines the local destinations from the payload identifiers by unmasking the payload identifiers, and delivers the payloads to determined local destinations at the facility.

A modular, scalable prescription dispensing and verification system includes a four-tiered central conveyor, dispensing control system with stored patient orders for creating dispensing and routing itineraries, carriers transporting itineraries and dispensed medications, induction station, pairs of processing stations divided by the conveyor, including automated and manual dispensing, verification, cold chain, and ambient packaging. Crossover conveyors transport carriers between dispensing station pair members for dispensing multiple products per station pair. One conveyor tier returns empty carriers to induction, another transports carriers from each dispensing station to verification, then to packaging, another transports carriers from induction to dispensing, then to additional dispensing, another conveys carriers from induction to dispensing stations. Carrier stops halt carriers at stations for removal for processing, replacement, and transport to the next station, or deposit on another tier and transport to a different station. The system may include two conveyor modules, one for refrigerated or ambient unit-of-use items, another for ambient countables.

A modular, scalable prescription dispensing and verification system includes a four-tiered central conveyor, dispensing control system with stored patient orders for creating dispensing and routing itineraries, carriers transporting itineraries and dispensed medications, induction station, pairs of processing stations divided by the conveyor, including automated and manual dispensing, verification, cold chain, and ambient packaging. Crossover conveyors transport carriers between dispensing station pair members for dispensing multiple products per station pair. One conveyor tier returns empty carriers to induction, another transports carriers from each dispensing station to verification, then to packaging, another transports carriers from induction to dispensing, then to additional dispensing, another conveys carriers from induction to dispensing stations. Carrier stops halt carriers at stations for removal for processing, replacement, and transport to the next station, or deposit on another tier and transport to a different station. The system may include two conveyor modules, one for refrigerated or ambient unit-of-use items, another for ambient countables.

Disclosed are a guiderail of an underslung robot, an underslung robot and an operating system thereof. The guiderail of an underslung robot includes: a main guiderail, suspended in the air by a support frame; and an auxiliary guiderail, communicating with the main guiderail and suspended in the air by a support frame. An intersection of the main guiderail and the auxiliary guiderail is provided with a gap through which a traveling underslung robot can pass. The guiderail further includes path indicators mounted on the main guiderail and the auxiliary guiderail. An underslung robot, comprising: wheels for bearing the underslung robot, wherein at least one of the wheels is a power wheel; and two booms, wherein the top of the booms is connected to the wheels, the bottom of the booms is connected to a frame of the underslung robot.

An induction station for conveying packages in a storage facility is provided. The induction station includes a plurality of parallel feed conveyors including at least first and second conveyors, and one or more buffer conveyors including at least a third conveyor for conveying the packages from the first and second conveyors to the third conveyor. The induction station further includes sensors for measuring a height, a weight, a length, and a width of each package. The induction station further includes sensors for detecting each package as one of a first package type or a second package type. The induction station further includes a controller to control a first, a second speed, and a third speed of the first through third conveyors, respectively, based on the detected package type of each package and at least one of the weight, height, length, and width of each package.