Warehouse system and robotic dispatching method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a warehouse system and a robot scheduling method. The warehouse system comprises a travel area, at least two robots and a controller. The travel area is divided into a plurality of cells, the at least two robots are configured to travel along the travel area, and each robot occupies one cell; the controller is configured to control the vertical staggered arrangement of the load platforms of the two robots located in adjacent two cells when a preset condition is met, wherein the load platform is configured to place goods. The system controls the vertical staggered arrangement of the load platforms of the two robots located in adjacent two cells when the preset condition is met, so as to compensate for the positional interference caused when the load platforms of the two adjacent robots perform corresponding actions at the same height position, thereby reasonably reducing the area of the cell occupied by each robot, and further arranging a larger number of robots in the same area of the travel area, thereby improving the space utilization of the travel area.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, and in particular to a warehousing system and a robot scheduling method. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of technology, the level of automation in the logistics field has made leaps and bounds. The sorting and handling of goods that were originally done manually should be replaced by robots.

[0003] Robots performing the same or different tasks move around in the warehouse area. Sometimes these robots form a queue and move in sequence. In order to make full use of the horizontal space in the warehouse area, it is usually desirable for the robots to be arranged closely together.

[0004] Typically, the robot's travel area is divided into several cells of the same size, with one robot occupying exactly one cell. The cell size is set to take into account the robot's external dimensions and the space it occupies when turning, so as to leave enough space between two adjacent robots to avoid positional interference during their movement.

[0005] With the continuous improvement of the level of logistics intelligence, more and more tasks that were previously done manually are being replaced by robots. As a result, the number of robots in the travel area is increasing. How to reasonably arrange these robots and increase the number of robots that can pass through the travel area while meeting their basic functional requirements is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure provides a warehousing system and a robot scheduling method to address the technical problems existing in the prior art.

[0007] Firstly, the warehousing system disclosed herein includes:

[0008] The travel area is divided into several cells;

[0009] At least two robots are configured to travel along the travel area, and each robot occupies one of the cells;

[0010] The controller is configured to, when preset conditions are met, control the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells, wherein the loading mechanisms are configured to place goods.

[0011] In one embodiment, when the robot turns in the travel area, and the overall structure of the robot itself does not need to rotate relative to the travel area, the controller controls the projection portions of the two vertically staggered load-bearing mechanisms to overlap in the travel area.

[0012] In one embodiment, the robot includes:

[0013] The traveling mechanism is configured to travel in the traveling area;

[0014] A cargo platform is constructed to carry goods.

[0015] A lifting mechanism is configured to connect the carrying mechanism and the traveling mechanism, and to drive the carrying mechanism to rise or fall relative to the traveling mechanism;

[0016] The controller is configured to control the lifting mechanism to make the corresponding robot's loading mechanism reach a preset height position, and then, based on the height scheduling of the robot's loading mechanism, make the loading mechanisms of the two robot queues located in the two adjacent columns of the cells vertically staggered, and make the loading mechanisms of the two robots in the two adjacent units of the same robot queue vertically staggered or at the same height position, with each robot queue including at least two robots.

[0017] In one embodiment, the robot includes:

[0018] The walking mechanism is configured to move and rotate within the travel area, causing the robot to turn.

[0019] A cargo platform is constructed to carry goods.

[0020] A lifting mechanism is configured to connect the carrying mechanism and the traveling mechanism, and to drive the carrying mechanism to rise or fall relative to the traveling mechanism;

[0021] The projections of the first rotation trajectory circles of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells on the travel area partially overlap, while the projections of the first rotation trajectory circle of the loading mechanism of one robot and the second rotation trajectory circle of the lifting mechanism of the other robot on the travel area do not overlap.

[0022] In one embodiment, the first rotational trajectory circle of the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells is tangent to the second rotational trajectory circle of the lifting mechanism of the other robot.

[0023] In one embodiment, when the robot needs to turn, the controller is configured to control the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered.

[0024] In one embodiment, the warehouse includes at least two sets of robot queues, and the controller is configured to control the loading mechanisms of the robots in the two sets of robot queues located in two adjacent columns to be vertically staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the same set of robot queues are located at the same height.

[0025] The robot queue refers to a group of robots that are lined up in sequence and moving in the same direction along the same straight path.

[0026] In one embodiment, when a turn is required, the controller is configured to control the loading mechanisms of two robots in adjacent cells of the same robot queue to be vertically staggered, and after the turn, a new robot queue consisting of a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path is formed. Then, the controller controls the loading mechanisms of the two robot queues in adjacent cells to be staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new same robot queue are at the same height.

[0027] Secondly, the robot scheduling method disclosed herein is applicable to the warehousing system described in any of the preceding claims, and the robot scheduling method includes the following steps:

[0028] When preset conditions are met, the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells are vertically staggered.

[0029] In one embodiment, the step "controlling the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells when a preset condition is met" includes:

[0030] When the robot turns in the travel area, the projections of the two vertically staggered load-bearing mechanisms in the travel area overlap, provided that the robot's overall structure does not need to rotate relative to the travel area.

[0031] In one embodiment, the step "controlling the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells when a preset condition is met" includes:

[0032] When the robot turns in the travel area, the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area;

[0033] When the robot needs to turn, the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells is controlled to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered.

[0034] In one embodiment, the step "controlling the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells when a preset condition is met" includes:

[0035] When the warehousing system includes at least two robot queues, and the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area when the robot turns in the travel area;

[0036] Control the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of robots in two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns, and ensure that the loading mechanisms of robots in the same group of robot queues are at the same height;

[0037] When a turn is required, the loading mechanisms of two robots in two adjacent cells of the same robot queue are vertically staggered. After the turn, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path. Then, the loading mechanisms of the two new robot queues in two adjacent columns of cells are staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new robot queue are at the same height.

[0038] The robot queue refers to a group of robots that are lined up in sequence and moving in the same direction along the same straight path.

[0039] One of the beneficial effects of the warehousing system disclosed herein is that, when the preset conditions are met, the warehousing system controls the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading platforms of two robots located in two adjacent cells to compensate for the positional interference caused when the loading platforms of two adjacent robots perform corresponding actions at the same height position. This can reasonably reduce the area of ​​the cell occupied by each robot, and thus allow more robots to be arranged in the same area of ​​the travel area, thereby improving the space utilization rate of the travel area.

[0040] It should be noted that the robot scheduling method disclosed herein is executed by the controller of the aforementioned warehousing system, and has the same technical features as the warehousing system, and therefore has the same technical effect, which will not be elaborated here. Attached Figure Description

[0041] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the present disclosure and, together with their description, serve to explain the principles of the present disclosure.

[0042] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot disclosed in this embodiment;

[0043] Figure 2 Before the staggered floor setting Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of two adjacent robots;

[0044] Figure 3 After setting up staggered levels Figure 1 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of two adjacent robots;

[0045] Figure 4 This is a structural diagram of a storage system when a suspended robot is working after a staggered layout.

[0046] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the robot disclosed in this embodiment;

[0047] Figure 6 After setting up staggered levels Figure 5 A schematic diagram showing the arrangement of two adjacent robots;

[0048] Figure 7 and Figure 8 They are Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the front and top views of two adjacent robots arranged in the traditional manner;

[0049] Figure 9 and Figure 10 They are Figure 5 A schematic diagram of the front and top views of two adjacent robots arranged in accordance with the manner disclosed herein;

[0050] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the travel area cells when multiple robots are scheduled;

[0051] Figure 12 It is a queue of multiple robots before turning. Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the staggered layout of the travel area is shown.

[0052] Figure 13 After turning, multiple robot queues are in Figure 11 A schematic diagram of the staggered layout of the travel area is shown.

[0053] Figures 1 to 13 The one-to-one correspondence between the component names and the reference numerals in the figures is as follows:

[0054] 1. Walking mechanism, 2. Carrying mechanism, 3. Supporting mechanism, 4. Cargo, 5. Lifting mechanism, 6. Cell, 7. First rotational trajectory circle, 8. Second rotational trajectory circle, 9. Traveling area. Detailed Implementation

[0055] Various exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that, unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement, numerical expressions, and values ​​of the components and steps set forth in these embodiments do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

[0056] The following description of at least one exemplary embodiment is merely illustrative and is in no way intended to limit this disclosure or its application or use.

[0057] Techniques, methods, and equipment known to those skilled in the art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, such techniques, methods, and equipment should be considered part of the specification.

[0058] In all the examples shown and discussed herein, any specific values ​​should be interpreted as merely exemplary and not as limitations. Therefore, other examples of exemplary embodiments may have different values.

[0059] It should be noted that similar labels and letters in the following figures indicate similar items; therefore, once an item is defined in one figure, it does not need to be discussed further in subsequent figures.

[0060] As described in the background section, in the field of warehousing and logistics, the travel area of ​​a robot is typically divided into several cells of the same size, with one robot occupying exactly one cell. The cell size is determined by considering the robot's external dimensions and the space it occupies when turning, ensuring sufficient space between adjacent robots to avoid positional interference during travel. With the continuous improvement of logistics intelligence, more and more tasks previously performed manually are being replaced by robots. This has led to an increase in the number of robots in the travel area. How to rationally arrange these robots to meet their basic functional requirements while increasing the number of robots that can pass through the travel area is a technical problem that urgently needs to be solved by those skilled in the art.

[0061] It should be noted that, generally, the cell shape is rectangular or square. Of course, depending on the specific layout of the travel area and the specific mechanism and working principle of the robot, the cell can also be elliptical or circular or other shapes. Those skilled in the art can select the best cell shape based on the actual scenario, and this article will not limit it further.

[0062] To this end, this disclosure provides a warehousing system comprising a travel area, at least two robots, and a controller. The travel area is divided into several cells, and at least two robots are configured to travel along the travel area, with each robot occupying one cell. The controller is configured to, when preset conditions are met, control the vertically staggered arrangement of the loading platforms of two robots located in adjacent cells, wherein the loading platforms are configured for placing goods.

[0063] Obviously, the storage system disclosed herein controls the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading platforms of two robots located in two adjacent cells when the preset conditions are met, in order to compensate for the positional interference caused when the loading platforms of two adjacent robots perform corresponding actions at the same height position. This can reasonably reduce the area of ​​the cell occupied by each robot, and thus allow more robots to be arranged in the same area of ​​the travel area, thereby improving the space utilization of the travel area.

[0064] For better understanding, please refer to the following: Figures 1 to 13 The specific structure and working principle of the warehousing system disclosed herein will be described in detail with reference to several embodiments.

[0065] Example 1

[0066] When the robot turns in the travel area, it does not need to rotate relative to the travel area.

[0067] It should be noted that the travel area refers to the area on the warehouse work surface that is designated for the robot to move in. Typically, the travel area is divided into several crisscrossing cells, and the robot's dimensions can be accommodated within one cell. In other words, the robot occupies one cell and moves in an array along these cells within the travel area.

[0068] See Figure 1 The robot includes a walking mechanism 1, a carrying mechanism 2, and a support mechanism 3. The walking mechanism 1 is configured to travel within a travel area and can be a four-way vehicle. The mobile platform includes a vehicle body and two sets of wheel mechanisms; one set of wheel mechanisms drives the vehicle body in a first direction, and the other set drives it in a second direction. The walking mechanism also includes a switching mechanism configured to select one set of wheel mechanisms to drive the vehicle body, thereby switching the vehicle's direction of travel. During the switching process, the vehicle body, carrying mechanism, and support mechanism do not move relative to the travel area. The carrying mechanism 2 is configured to carry goods 4, which can be a pallet, etc.

[0069] For this type of robot, the positional relationship between the loading mechanisms 2 platforms of two robots located in adjacent cells before and after the staggered arrangement is described in the following reference. Figure 2 and Figure 3 Obviously, after the staggered arrangement, the projection of the carrying mechanism of two robots located in two adjacent cells on the travel area overlaps, and the travel area occupied by the two adjacent robots becomes smaller. The smaller area is compensated by the height dimension of the staggered arrangement. In this way, the area of ​​the cells in the travel area can be reduced accordingly, so that more robots can be arranged in the same area of ​​the travel area, and the utilization rate of the travel area is greatly improved.

[0070] It is understandable that the travel area can be the warehouse floor, a platform or track built independently above the ground.

[0071] Depending on the different types of travel zones, this robot can be a suspended robot, see [link / reference]. Figure 4 The overhead rail robot travels on a track above the ground or suspended from the top of the warehouse. The robot's walking mechanism is located along the track, and its carrying mechanism is suspended below the walking mechanism by a rope assembly. The goods of its carrying mechanism are vertically staggered and overlapped in the projection portion on the traveling area.

[0072] It should be noted that, based on the number and arrangement of the robot queues, for robots that do not require a rotating load-bearing mechanism to achieve steering, the two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns are vertically staggered. The controller controls the load-bearing mechanism of the robot in one group of robot queues to be higher or lower than the load-bearing mechanism of the robot in the adjacent group of robot queues. The load-bearing mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells in the same group of robot queues can be vertically staggered or kept at the same height.

[0073] There are two ways to achieve vertical staggered loading mechanisms for two robots located in adjacent cells:

[0074] First, select two different types of robots in the travel area. The carrying mechanisms of these two robots are located at different heights. When queuing to form a robot queue, the controller will arrange and combine these two robot queues to form two groups of robot queues located at least in two adjacent columns of cells with vertically staggered robot positions.

[0075] Second, the structure of the robot moving within the travel area is described in [reference needed]. Figure 5 In addition to the walking mechanism 1 and the carrying mechanism 2, the robot also includes a lifting mechanism 5, which connects the walking mechanism 1 and the carrying mechanism 2 and is configured to lift the carrying mechanism 2 relative to the walking mechanism 1 by a preset distance.

[0076] The lifting mechanism 5 can be a piston rod of a pneumatic or hydraulic cylinder. Its cylinder body is fixed on the traveling mechanism, and the loading mechanism is fixed on the free end of the piston rod. As hydraulic oil or gas enters and exits its respective cylinder body, the piston rod drives the loading mechanism to lift and lower to support the container.

[0077] The lifting mechanism can also be a telescopic linkage mechanism that is supported by a combination of several hinged rods.

[0078] Of course, the lifting mechanism may also include a support frame, a motor, and a power transmission mechanism. The function of the power transmission mechanism is to convert the rotation of the motor into linear motion, such as a gear and rack transmission mechanism, a belt transmission mechanism, a chain transmission mechanism, etc.

[0079] In detail, when the lifting mechanism adopts a gear and rack transmission mechanism, the rack extends vertically and is fixedly connected to the bracket, and the gear meshing with the rack is rotatably mounted on the loading mechanism.

[0080] After the motor is started, its drive gear drives the loading mechanism to rise and fall along the extension direction of the rack.

[0081] When the lifting mechanism adopts a belt drive mechanism, its two drive wheels are vertically spaced and rotatably mounted on the support, and its drive belt is tensioned on the two drive wheels. The loading mechanism is fixed on the drive belt.

[0082] After the motor is started, it drives one of the transmission wheels to rotate, which in turn causes the transmission belt to lift and lower the loading mechanism.

[0083] When the lifting mechanism adopts a chain drive mechanism, its two sprockets are vertically spaced and rotatably mounted on the support, the chain is tensioned on the two sprockets, and the loading mechanism is fixed on the chain.

[0084] After the motor is started, it drives one of the sprockets to rotate, which in turn causes the chain to lift and lower the load-bearing mechanism.

[0085] See Figure 6 Based on the number and arrangement of the robot queues, the controller first controls the lifting mechanism to bring the corresponding robot's loading mechanism to a preset height. Then, based on the height scheduling of these robot loading mechanisms, it ensures that the loading mechanisms of at least two robot queues located in adjacent cells are vertically staggered. Of course, the controller can also vertically stagger the loading mechanisms of two robots in the same robot queue located in adjacent cells. The specific arrangement can be preset by those skilled in the art based on factors such as the travel area area and the number of robots.

[0086] In one embodiment, for robots such as four-way vehicles that do not require steering, see [link to relevant documentation]. Figure 11 and Figure 12 When the warehousing system includes at least two robot queues, the controller controls the loading mechanisms of the robots in the two robot queues located in adjacent cells to be vertically staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the same robot queue are at the same height. It should be noted that the "robot queue" mentioned in this article refers to a queue of robots that are lined up sequentially and moving in the same direction along the same straight path, or simply two robots paused in two adjacent cells, and the two robots can travel in the same or different directions.

[0087] See Figure 13 The controller controls the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells within the same robot queue. After turning, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path. The controller then controls the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new robot queue to be at the same height.

[0088] In this way, by reducing the cell area, the scheduling problem of multiple robots with staggered settings can be cleverly solved.

[0089] Example 2

[0090] When the robot turns in the travel area, the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area.

[0091] Similarly, see also Figure 5 The robot includes a walking mechanism 1, a carrying mechanism 2, and a lifting mechanism 5. The lifting mechanism 5 connects the walking mechanism 1 and the carrying mechanism 2 and is configured to drive the carrying mechanism 2 to rise or fall relative to the walking mechanism 1. The walking mechanism 1 is configured to travel along the travel area and, based on the instructions issued by the controller, travel along the target path from the current position to the target position and perform tasks such as picking up and putting down goods from the bin or picking up and putting down the bin from the shelf.

[0092] The running gear is similar to that of a car. When it turns, the entire structure rotates at an angle relative to the travel area, such as a right angle, to achieve vertical turning.

[0093] See Figure 7 and Figure 8 , Figure 7 The dashed line represents the first rotation trajectory circle 7 of the carrying mechanism 2 when the robot turns. Under normal circumstances, the first rotation trajectory circle 7 of the carrying mechanism 2 is larger than the second rotation trajectory circles of the lifting mechanism and the walking mechanism.

[0094] To ensure the normal turning of two robots located in adjacent cells, the minimum travel area occupied by each robot is the circumscribed quadrilateral of the rotation trajectory circle. If there are several robots in the robot queue, the horizontal space used by the robot queue is relatively large, and the number of robots arranged per unit area is limited.

[0095] For this reason, see Figure 9 and Figure 10 In the storage system disclosed herein, the projections of the first rotation trajectory circles 7 of the loading mechanisms 2 of two robots located in adjacent cells on the travel area are coincident. As long as the projections of the first rotation trajectory circle 7 of the loading mechanism 2 of one robot and the second rotation trajectory circles of the lifting mechanism 5 and the walking mechanism of the other robot on the travel area are not coincident or interfered with, it is acceptable.

[0096] Obviously, with Figure 7 and Figure 8 Compared to the traditional cells shown, the area of ​​the cell 6 in the travel area of ​​the storage system disclosed in this invention is significantly reduced, so that more cells 6 can be divided in the same area of ​​the travel area, which can accommodate more robots and thus improve the space utilization of the travel area.

[0097] When a robot needs to turn, the controller adjusts the loading mechanism of one robot in two adjacent cells to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered. In this way, when the two robots in adjacent cells turn, their respective loading mechanisms are at different heights, avoiding positional interference.

[0098] For example, taking a robot that uses QR code navigation as an example, assume that the diameter of the first rotation trajectory circle of the robot's loading mechanism is about 800mm; and the diameter of the second rotation trajectory circle of the robot's lifting mechanism is about 600mm.

[0099] If the traditional deployment method is followed, each robot will occupy a cell with an area of ​​800mm*800mm.

[0100] Since the projections of the first rotation trajectory circles of the carrying mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells in the storage system of this disclosure on the travel area are partially coincident, and the projections of the first rotation trajectory circle of the carrying mechanism of one robot and the second rotation trajectory circles of the lifting mechanism and walking mechanism of another robot on the travel area are not coincident, each robot only needs to occupy a cell with an area of ​​700mm*700mm.

[0101] See also Figure 10 In two robots located in adjacent cells, the first rotation trajectory circle 7 of the loading mechanism 2 of one robot is tangent to the second rotation trajectory circle of the lifting mechanism 5 or the larger of the lifting mechanisms of the other robot.

[0102] In this way, the gap between two robots located in adjacent cells can be made more fully, allowing the robots to be arranged more closely while still achieving the turning function, thereby further reducing the cell area required for each robot.

[0103] For robots that need to turn, see Figure 11 and Figure 12 When the warehousing system includes at least two robot queues, the controller controls the loading mechanisms of the robots in the two robot queues located in adjacent cells to be vertically staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the same robot queue are at the same height. It should be noted that the "robot queue" mentioned in this article refers to a queue of robots that are lined up sequentially and moving in the same direction along the same straight path, or simply two robots paused in two adjacent cells, and the two robots can travel in the same or different directions.

[0104] When a turn is required, see Figure 13 The controller controls the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells within the same robot queue. After turning, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path. The controller then controls the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new robot queue to be at the same height.

[0105] In this way, by reducing the cell area, the scheduling problem of multiple robots with staggered settings can be cleverly solved.

[0106] In addition to the aforementioned warehousing system, this disclosure also provides a robot scheduling method applicable to the aforementioned warehousing system, which is executed by the controller of the warehousing system.

[0107] It should be noted that the specific structure and working principle of the warehousing system have been described in detail above. In order to keep the text concise, only the specific steps of the robot operation method disclosed in this paper will be described in detail below, and the specific structure of the warehousing system will not be repeated.

[0108] The robot scheduling method disclosed herein includes the following steps: when preset conditions are met, the loading mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells are vertically staggered.

[0109] Among them, meeting the preset conditions is mainly distinguished by whether the robot's turning requires the overall structure to rotate relative to the travel area.

[0110] Example 1

[0111] When the robot turns within the travel zone, provided that the robot's overall structure does not need to rotate relative to the travel zone, the controller controls the two vertically staggered load-bearing mechanisms to overlap their projected portions within the travel zone. The robot's structure in this case has already been described earlier and will not be repeated here.

[0112] It should be noted that, based on the number and arrangement of the robot queues, for robots that do not require a rotating load-bearing mechanism to achieve steering, the two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns are vertically staggered. The controller controls the load-bearing mechanism of the robot in one group of robot queues to be higher or lower than the load-bearing mechanism of the robot in the adjacent group of robot queues. The load-bearing mechanisms of the two robots in two adjacent cells in the same group of robot queues can be vertically staggered or kept at the same height.

[0113] There are two ways to achieve vertical staggered loading mechanisms for two robots located in adjacent cells:

[0114] First, select two different types of robots in the travel area. The carrying mechanisms of these two robots are located at different heights. When queuing to form a robot queue, the controller will arrange and combine these two robot queues to form two groups of robot queues located at least in two adjacent columns of cells with vertically staggered robot positions.

[0115] Secondly, based on the number and arrangement of the robot queues, the controller first controls the lifting mechanism to bring the corresponding robot's loading mechanism to a preset height. Then, based on the height scheduling of these robot loading mechanisms, the loading mechanisms of at least two groups of robot queues located in adjacent cells are vertically staggered. Of course, the controller can also vertically stagger the loading mechanisms of two robots in the same robot queue located in adjacent cells. The specific arrangement can be preset by those skilled in the art based on factors such as the travel area area and the number of robots.

[0116] Example 2

[0117] When the robot turns in the travel area, the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area;

[0118] When the robot needs to turn, the loading mechanism of one of the two robots located in two adjacent cells is controlled to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered.

[0119] Example 3

[0120] When the warehousing system includes at least two robot queues, and the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area when the robot turns in the travel area;

[0121] Control the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of robots in two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns, and ensure that the loading mechanisms of robots in the same group of robot queues are at the same height;

[0122] When a turn is required, the loading mechanisms of two robots in two adjacent cells of the same robot queue are vertically staggered. After the turn, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path. Then, the loading mechanisms of the two new robot queues in two adjacent columns of cells are staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new robot queue are at the same height.

[0123] The robot queue refers to a group of robots that are lined up in sequence and moving in the same direction along the same straight path, or simply two robots that are paused on two adjacent cells. The two robots can travel in the same or different directions.

[0124] The various embodiments of this disclosure have been described above. These descriptions are exemplary and not exhaustive, and are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the described embodiments. The terminology used herein is chosen to best explain the principles, practical application, or technical improvements to the embodiments in the market, or to enable others skilled in the art to understand the embodiments disclosed herein. The scope of this disclosure is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A warehousing system, characterized in that, The warehousing system includes: The travel area is divided into several cells; At least two robots are configured to travel along the travel area, and each robot occupies one of the cells, the minimum length dimension of which is the sum of the larger of the radius of the first rotation trajectory circle of the loading mechanism of one robot and the radius of the second rotation trajectory circle of the lifting mechanism or walking mechanism of the other robot. The robot includes: The walking mechanism is configured to move and rotate within the travel area, causing the robot to turn. A cargo-carrying mechanism, constructed to carry goods; A lifting mechanism is configured to connect the carrying mechanism and the traveling mechanism, and to drive the carrying mechanism to rise or fall relative to the traveling mechanism; The warehousing system also includes a controller configured to control the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of robots in two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns of cells, with the loading mechanisms of robots in the same group of robot queues at the same height. The robot queue refers to a group of robots that are lined up in order and moving in the same direction along the same straight path. The controller is further configured to, when the robot turns in the travel area, control the loading mechanisms of two robots in the same group of robot queues located in two adjacent cells to be vertically staggered, with the projections of the first rotation trajectory circles of the loading mechanisms of the two robots in the two adjacent cells overlapping in the travel area, and the projections of the first rotation trajectory circle of one robot's loading mechanism and the second rotation trajectory circle of the other robot's lifting mechanism not overlapping in the travel area, so as to prevent the loading mechanisms of the two robots in the two adjacent cells from interfering with each other when performing corresponding actions. After turning, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path, and the loading mechanisms of the two groups of robot queues in the new two adjacent columns of cells are then staggered, so that the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new group of robot queues are at the same height.

2. The warehousing system according to claim 1, characterized in that, When the robot turns in the travel area, if the overall structure of the robot itself does not need to rotate relative to the travel area, the controller controls the two vertically staggered load-bearing mechanisms to overlap in the projection portion of the travel area.

3. The warehousing system according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first rotational trajectory circle of the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells is tangent to the second rotational trajectory circle of the lifting mechanism of the other robot.

4. The warehousing system according to any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that, The controller is configured to control the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered.

5. A robot scheduling method, characterized in that, The robot scheduling method, applicable to any one of claims 1 to 4, comprises the following steps: When the robot turns in the travel area, the loading mechanisms of two robots located in two adjacent cells that control the same group of robots are set up vertically in a staggered manner. When the warehousing system includes at least two robot queues, and the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area when turning in the travel area: Control the vertical staggered arrangement of the loading mechanisms of robots in two groups of robot queues located in adjacent columns, and ensure that the loading mechanisms of robots in the same group of robot queues are at the same height; When a turn is required, the loading mechanisms of two robots in two adjacent cells of the same robot queue are vertically staggered. After the turn, a new robot queue is formed by a group of robots traveling in the same direction along the same straight path. Then, the loading mechanisms of the two new robot queues in two adjacent columns of cells are staggered, and the loading mechanisms of the robots in the new robot queue are at the same height. The robot queue refers to a group of robots that are lined up in sequence and moving in the same direction along the same straight path.

6. The robot scheduling method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step "Controlling the vertical staggered setup of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells when the robot turns in the travel area" includes: When the robot turns in the travel area, the projections of the two vertically staggered load-bearing mechanisms in the travel area overlap, provided that the robot's overall structure does not need to rotate relative to the travel area.

7. The robot scheduling method according to claim 5, characterized in that, The step "Controlling the vertical staggered setup of the loading mechanisms of two robots located in adjacent cells when the robot turns in the travel area" includes: When the robot turns in the travel area, the robot's overall structure needs to rotate relative to the travel area; When the robot needs to turn, the loading mechanism of one robot located in two adjacent cells is controlled to rise or fall a preset distance relative to the loading mechanism of the other robot, so that the two loading mechanisms are vertically staggered.

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