A contactless order dispensing system is provided for dispensing e-commerce orders to customers at a store without a person-to-person interaction. The dispensing system includes a customer access portal for presenting orders to the customer, preferably at an exterior location. A transportation system (e.g. conveyer system) transports orders from a storage buffer system to the customer access portal. The storage buffer holds customer orders until the customer arrives to retrieve them and may store portions of orders at different temperatures. The dispensing system includes a confirmation sensor system to verify whether a customer has retrieved their entire order or whether the customer has rejected one or more of the order items. The dispensing system provides the order to the customer within about two minutes of the customer indicating that they are at the access portal and ready for their order.

A storage, retrieval and processing system for processing objects is disclosed. The storage, retrieval and processing system includes a plurality of storage bins providing storage of a plurality of objects, where the plurality of storage bins being in communication with a retrieval conveyance system, a programmable motion device in communication with the retrieval conveyance system for receiving the storage bins from the plurality of bins, where the programmable motion device includes an end effector for grasping and moving a selected object out of a selected storage bin, and is adapted for movement of the programmable motion device along a first direction, and a plurality of destination bins that are provided in at least one linear arrangement along the first direction of movement of the programmable motion device.

A system for pickup of assembled grocery orders is described herein. The system includes a drive-through lane, a check-in unit associated with the drive through lane, a cashier workstation, an assembly line system configured to deliver grocery items to the cashier workstation, and a computing system. The computer system includes a processor programmed to operate the assembly line system to deliver grocery items to the cashier workstation by receiving first information from a main assembly line scanning device indicating the grocery items being transported by a main assembly line, receiving second information from the workstation scanning device indicating a corresponding grocery item included in a grocery order is adjacent to the cashier workstation, and displaying a notification message on a monitor display screen indicating the corresponding grocery item is adjacent to the cashier workstation.

An automated parts handling system includes a conveyor, a robotic arm configured to pick parts from a parts receptacle and place the picked parts on the conveyor, a vision device disposed over or adjacent the conveyor and configured to determine the number of parts picked by the robotic arm from the parts receptacle and placed on the conveyor, a memory, and a processor communicatively coupled to the conveyor, the robotic arm, and the vision device. The memory includes program instructions executable by the processor to implement a pick process configured to receive information from the vision device on the number of parts picked by the robotic arm and placed on the conveyor, based on the received information regarding the number of picked parts, selectively control the robotic arm to retrieve from the conveyor a number of the picked parts, and selectively control the robotic arm to place one or more of the retrieved parts back in the parts receptacle when the number of parts picked by the robotic arm differs from a predetermined number of parts specified in the program instructions.

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.

A widget device for use in delivering products or items stored on a storage unit to a transfer system, is described herein. The widget device includes a shell, a positioning magnet mounted to the shell and deployable to selectively contact the storage unit to hold the widget device at a desired location associated with a corresponding product or item, and a processor programmed to operate the positioning magnet to control a position of the widget device with respect to the storage unit.

A method and apparatus for dispensing and retrieving products is provided. An apparatus may include: a plurality of shelf units. Each shelf unit extends longitudinally between a first end and a second end. The first end may be configured to receive articles, and the second end may be configured to present articles for retrieval in a retrieval position. Each of the plurality of shelf units is arranged with a respective second end facing a retrieval area. Each of the plurality of shelf units is inclined with the first end being lower than the second end. The apparatus may also include a retrieval device comprising an end-of-arm tool. The retrieval device is disposed within the retrieval area and configured to attach the end-of-arm tool to an article in a retrieval position of each of the plurality of shelf units.

Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are disclosed for automated sweepers for item sortation systems. In one embodiment, an example item sortation system may include an aisle, a number of chutes accessible from the aisle, a shuttle configured to transport first items from an induction portion of the item sortation system to a first chute of the plurality of chutes, and a robotic sweeping system disposed in the aisle. The robotic sweeping system may be configured to sweep second items on a floor of the aisle to a first end of the item sortation system. The robotic sweeping system may include a motor and a sweeping device.

A system may include a vehicle for delivering items and a moveable track that cooperates with the vehicle. The moveable track may cooperate with a storage system having storage locations for storing items. The vehicle may drive into the moveable track and lift the track using a vertical drive mechanism. The vehicle may include a horizontal drive system operable to drive the vehicle horizontally along the ground to carry the moveable track to a position adjacent the storage location. The vehicle may operate the vertical drive system to drop the moveable track adjacent the storage system. Additionally, the vehicle may operate the vertical drive to drive up the moveable track to an elevated position adjacent one of the storage locations in the storage system. The vehicle may include a transfer mechanism for transferring items between the vehicle and the storage location while the vehicle is in the elevated position.

A store server and a picking robot are included. The store server includes an order reception unit that receives an order for a product from a customer terminal, and a picking processing unit that instructs the picking robot to pick a product related to the order from a display shelf and convey the product to a delivery locker. The picking robot includes an arm, a picking means installed at a tip end portion of the arm, and a sensor installed near the tip end portion of the arm, detects an object by image processing from an image of a display level on which the product is displayed, the image being photographed by the sensor, identifies which object the product is by image recognition processing based on a recognition model set for each product regarding each object, and moves the picking means to a position where the product is able to be picked.