Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for multimodal asynchronous transportation. In one embodiment, an example system may include a portable conveyor assembly configured to receive one or more items, the portable conveyor assembly including a conveyor belt, a drive motor, and a magnet. The portable conveyor assembly may be configured to couple to an item sortation system to receive sorted items, and to couple to a vehicle for transportation of the portable conveyor assembly from the item sortation system to a different system of a fulfillment center.

A method and system for stocking and assembling SKUs includes stocking SKUs out of a lane, from the back of a downward slanting shelf, unit by unit, in long, narrow, single files separated by dividers, and with supplementary storage space available nearby. In addition it includes picking SKUs for multiple orders simultaneously off of shelves and onto a conveyor, registering all SKUs riding on the conveyor, and sorting and packing SKUs upon receiving notifications to do so as they ride on the conveyor. All coordinated such that after being brought to the stocking lane or supplementary storage space, SKUs are stocked into the shelves, picked off of the shelves and onto the conveyor, and then registered as riding on the conveyor, at which point timed notifications lead SKUs riding on the conveyor to be sorted and packed into orders which are then confirmed as being complete.

An omnichannel order fulfilment and sortation system and method for operating same are provided for optimizing order fulfilment processes within an order fulfilment facility. The system includes multiple automated storage and retrieval systems or units, including aisle-based systems, grid-based systems, and full case handling systems. A continuous loop sorter is positioned centrally relative to the storage units to receive a multitude of items for many different work in progress orders. Order consolidators are provided adjacent the sorter to receive items for individual orders from the sorter. The quantity consolidators is significantly higher than the quantity of storage units and inducts of the storage units, providing for many orders consolidation locations such that the storage units need not necessarily wait for consolidation locations to become available before retrieving items for other orders. The consolidator selected to receive a particular order is optimized to reduce the strain on resources within the system.

A box handling system is disclosed for use in an object processing system. The box handling system includes a box tray including a recessed area for receiving a box, and the recessed area includes a plurality of floor and edge portions for receiving the box that contains objects to be processed.

A storage system and method wherein a storage rack has a first flat section, where pallets are loaded onto storage rails by an automated pallet transportation cart, and a second inclined flow section, where pallets are moved to the front of the storage lane by the force of gravity. A transition section can be positioned between the flat section and the inclined section. The transition section has rails and spacing for a pallet cart to load pallets onto the inclined section. As the front pallet is removed, the second pallet (and subsequent pallets on the inclined section) travels forward to take its place under the force of gravity. Therefore, no pallet cart is needed to unload the inclined section.

Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to enhance the efficiencies of warehouse operations. For example, automation systems and methods can be used to efficiently optimize the storage density of items in warehouses. In some examples, warehouse workers are automatically provided with instructions for how to assemble pallet loads of incoming items to a height that is determined based on the goal of fully utilizing open warehouse storage rack spaces. In some examples, a plan for optimizing the build-height of pallet loads of an incoming shipment is determined in advance of receiving the shipment.

A robotic system includes a robot having a picking arm to grasp an inventory item and a shuttle. The shuttle includes a platform adapted to receive the inventory item from the picking arm of the robot. The platform is moveable between a pick-up location located substantially adjacent to the robot and an end location spaced a distance apart from the pick-up location. The system improves efficiency as transportation of the item from the pick-up location to the end location is divided between the robot and the shuttle.

A method of processing objects using a programmable motion device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of perceiving identifying indicia representative of an identity of a plurality of objects and directing the plurality of objects toward an input area from at least one input conveyance system, acquiring an object from the plurality of objects at the input area using an end effector of the programmable motion device, and moving the acquired object toward an identified processing location using the programmable motion device, said identified processing location being associated with the identifying indicia and said identified processing location being provided as one of a plurality of processing locations that are radially spaced from the programmable motion device.

An automated storage and retrieval system including at least one autonomous transport vehicle, a transfer deck that defines a transport surface for the vehicle, at least one reciprocating lift, a first and second pickface interface station connected to the deck and spaced apart from each other, each station forming a pickface transfer interfacing between the vehicle on the deck and the lift at each station so that a pickface is transferred between the lift and the vehicle at each station, wherein the vehicle is configured to pick a first pickface at the first station, traverse the deck and buffer the first pickface, or at least a portion thereof, at the second station so that the second station has multiple pickfaces buffered on a common support in an order sequence of pickfaces according to a predetermined case out order sequence of mixed case pickfaces.

Warehouse automation and methods of controlling material flow can be used to enhance the efficiencies of warehouse operations. For example, automation systems and methods can be used to efficiently optimize the storage density of items in warehouses. In some examples, warehouse workers are automatically provided with instructions for how to assemble pallet loads of incoming items to a height that is determined based on the goal of fully utilizing open warehouse storage rack spaces. In some examples, a plan for optimizing the build-height of pallet loads of an incoming shipment is determined in advance of receiving the shipment.