Systems and methods for profiling a pallet in a warehouse can include a turntable that rotates the pallet, conveyor belts that move the pallet, and a vertical profiling structure, having cameras mounted at different locations, in a stationary position proximate to a side of the turntable. A photo booth can also be used to provide uniform lighting. A computing system can instruct a conveyor belt to automatically route the pallet onto the turntable, instruct the cameras to capture image data of the pallet as it rotates on the turntable, receive the image data, and retrieve image-based models of the pallet that were trained using images of pallets having unique identifiers. The computing system can determine, based on applying the image-based models to the image data, whether the pallet's unique identifier is identifiable, and transmit, to a warehouse management system, a notification indicating whether the unique identifier is identifiable.

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.

The endless path includes: a first region extending linearly in the transport direction and constituting a transport surface on which the object to be transported is placeable, turn-back regions in which the endless path is turned back downward from respective end portions of the first region in the transport direction; and a second region continuous with the turn-back regions and extending in the transport direction below the first region, and the second region has, between the two support legs in the transport direction, a specific zone that is parallel with the first region and in which a spacing from the first region in an up-down direction is smaller than a smallest turn-back dimension corresponding to twice a smallest bending radius of the endless member.

The present disclosure provides a system and method for smart auto-vending during a pandemic. The purpose is to increase efficiency in order fulfillment of prepacked and non-prepacked products in terms of speed, low cost, and sterilization. The system comprises: a box station; dispensers/dispensing subsystems; sterilization stations with different sterilization methods; a packaging station with different packaging methods; a shipping station for smart shipping with automatic self-driving vehicles or drones; a main conveyor and sub-conveyors that move an order through the system. In addition, there may be one dispensing subsystem for weighing, bagging, and sterilizing non-prepackaged grocery products. The system's AI function is also used to optimize items stored in each dispenser/dispensing subsystem. All of these components and methods come together to form an integrated, streamlined, and optimized system and method for carrying out online order fulfillment efficiently.

Processing a list of customer orders with a control system and a preparing station, which includes a picking position, an insertion position and local recirculation. The control system: selects a reference in the greatest number of order lines of the list; determines a set E of all the N.sub.E orders each containing an order line containing the selected reference; creates a group G of N orders that are the N.sub.E orders, if N.sub.E≤N.sub.max with N.sub.max being a predetermined threshold, or the N.sub.max first orders of the N.sub.E orders sorted according to decreasing order of priority, if N.sub.E>N.sub.max; builds a list LC of the K order lines in the N orders of the group G; and controls the system to bring source loads to the picking position and ship loads to the insertion position and to make the shipping loads recirculate to the insertion position, according to the list LC.

A system and method are provided for auditing the inventory within an automated warehouse utilizing RFID technology. The system and method enable real-time tracking and monitoring of inventory and load units as they travel through and are stored in the warehouse. The system may require only a single RFID reader coupled with an automated shuttle for traversing a majority of the warehouse storage system to read, recognize, and audit the inventory as stored in load units stored in the system. The system may utilize multiple RFID readers throughout the warehouse to provide ample coverage, enabling real-time, whole warehouse inventory tracking. The system and method of the present invention contemplate both readily available RFID technologies, as well as advanced or improved RFID technologies having greater detection range, larger information storage capabilities, and the ability to determine precise spatial location of tags relative a reader.

A container carrier system for carrying containers, especially blister packages, and a method of carrying containers. The system includes a body having a longitudinal channel having a central portion and two side portions, the central portion having a greater depth than a depth of channel portions on either side of the central portion. The body further includes roof portions that cover the two side portions. The channel is configured to allow movement of containers only in the longitudinal direction of the channel. The blister packages may carry unit doses of medication.

Provided is a transferring apparatus for transferring a container in which an article is accommodated. The transferring apparatus may include a first rail, a second rail located below the first rail, and a transfer unit located on the sides of the first rail and the second rail, and configured to transfer the container between a first vehicle traveling on the first rail and a second vehicle traveling on the second rail, in which the transfer unit may include a frame having an elevation space therein, and an elevation member for elevating the container between a first position transferring the first vehicle and the container and a second position transferring the second vehicle and the container, in the elevation space.

To provide a drug discharge device capable of reducing complexity when distributing a drug into a manual distribution device. A drug discharge device includes a manual distribution member 15 that includes a plurality of recessed portions 20 in which a solid drug is distributed, discharge means that discharges the drug distributed in the recessed portions 20 to a downstream side directly or via another member, and a control device that controls the discharge means, in which the discharge means is capable of individually discharging a drug corresponding to a predetermined recessed portion 20, the control device assigns the same drug to the recessed portions 20 in adjacent regions based on prescription information including information on a drug to be provided to a plurality of patients or one patient, and the discharge means discharges the drugs in a predetermined order.

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.