In accordance with the object of the present invention, it relates to a product storage area automation system having abase, at least one shelf unit located on this base and on which a various number of products are arranged, a shelf controller associated with this at least one shelf unit, a main control unit configured to communicate with the said shelf controller and equipped with an automation software, and a wheeled vehicle including a cart controller configured to communicate with the said main control unit and a product identity reader configured to read the information on each product. Here, at least one shelf unit includes a number of lighting elements configured to communicate with the said shelf controller and the said wheeled vehicle includes a riding stand so as to carry a human product collector.

A vehicle tilting device for tilting a delivery vehicle for increasing access to items from a storage container transported on the delivery vehicle. The vehicle tilting device comprises a base structure and a tiltable platform connected to the base structure, wherein the tiltable platform comprises guiding features adapted to guide the delivery vehicle onto the tiltable platform. The tiltable platform is arranged to be connected to a delivery grid cell of a delivery rail system such that that there is a path to and/or from the tiltable platform for the delivery vehicle via the delivery grid cell. The invention is also related to an access station, a delivery system and a method of accessing a storage container.

An information processing system includes a client device provided in a moving body and a server device. The client device includes a photographing controller configured to control a photographing unit provided in the moving body to continuously perform photographing and a first transmitter configured to transmit information on a marker photographed in a photographed image to the server device when a size of a marker photographed in the photographed image photographed by the photographing unit is determined to have varied to cross a predetermined threshold value. The server device includes a first storage controller configured to control a storage unit to store the information on the marker transmitted by the first transmitter.

A layer pick system optimizes usage of a layer picker gantry or robotic arm by arranging and/or displacing the gantry or arm in optimal locations with respect to one or more groups of pallets, and/or by grouping pallets by their attributes and arranging the same group of pallets close to each other. In some implementations, a plurality of pallets is categorized into multiple groups by different velocities.

Provided are a container storage system, a warehousing system, a robot control method, and a robot; the container storage system comprises an inventory area, a control server, a robot, and a plurality of workstations; the control server communicates with the robot wirelessly; an inventory rack is placed in the inventory area; the inventory rack comprises at least one layer of layered panels; the at least one layer of layered panels divides the inventory rack into at least two layers; at least two storage containers are placed on the inventory rack in the direction of the depth of the layered panels, and the direction of width of the storage container on the inventory rack is consistent with the direction of the depth of the layered panels. The system increases the storage density of storage containers in the inventory area, and reduces the energy consumption of the robot picking the storage containers.

A grid framework structure is disclosed having first set of parallel rails or tracks and a second set of parallel rails or tracks forming a grid pattern with grid spaces. The grid is supported by a set of uprights to form a plurality of vertical storage locations beneath the grid for containers to be stacked between and be guided by the uprights in a vertical direction through the plurality of grid spaces. A load handling device includes: a drive assembly having at least two motors for driving a first set of wheels; at least two motors for driving a second set of wheels, wherein each motor is positioned such that its drive shaft is parallel and non-coaxially arranged with respect to the axis of rotation of its respective wheel; and, a number of gear arrangements corresponding to the number of motors for transferring drive from the motors to the wheels.

An item manipulator for an automated storage unit, comprising a pincer-like grip device preset on a supporting plate for items, the pincer-like device comprising: two opposite longitudinal grip blades, of which on can move with respect to another, respectively a first blade and a second blade, first elements for the translation of the blades in a first direction which is parallel to the direction of extension of the blades, second elements for translation in a second direction which is perpendicular to the first direction and lies on a plane that is parallel to the plane of arrangement of the plate.

The manipulator comprises elements for controlled mutual approach/spacing of the blades.

An automated storage and retrieval system includes an isolating housing having walls and a roof, one or more openable and closable housing openings or hatches arranged in the roof of the isolating housing, a rail system arranged above the roof, a storage tower arranged inside the isolating housing, and an automated control system. The isolating housing is arranged to isolate goods stored within the isolating housing from an outside environment. The goods are stored in storage containers. One or more wheeled container handling vehicles may travel upon the rail system. The container handling vehicles include a lifting device for lifting and lowering containers. The rail system is at least arranged such that a container handling vehicle may be positioned with its lifting device positioned above a hatch. The storage tower is accessible to the container handling vehicle or vehicles though a hatch. The storage tower includes a plurality of vertically stacked container supports, a displacement device for horizontally moving container supports in order to align the opening of vertically adjacent container supports to form a tower port beneath a hatch, and a displacement device for horizontally moving a target container support in order to position a target container at the bottom of the tower port. The container supports are in the form of horizontally movable shelves upon which may rest a plurality of storage containers. The container supports have a lateral width corresponding to a plurality of container spaces and a longitudinal length corresponding to a plurality of container spaces, thereby defining a plurality of lateral rows of container spaces. One or more of the container spaces of a lateral row is an opening corresponding in size to a storage container such that storage containers may pass therethrough. The container handling vehicle may lower its lifting device though the hatch, down the tower port, and access the target container.

An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines an undeterministic transport surface for the at least one autonomous transport vehicle, the transfer deck having multiple travel lanes, at least one vertically reciprocating lift, and at least one pickface handoff station connected to the transfer deck and interfacing between the at least one autonomous transport vehicle on the transfer deck and the at least one vertically reciprocating lift so that a pickface is transferred between the at least one vertically reciprocating and the at least one autonomous transport vehicle.

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.