Storage and taking device, storage and taking system, warehousing system and goods storage and taking method

Abstract

The invention provides a storing and taking device, a storing and taking system, a warehousing system and a goods storing and taking method. The storing and taking device comprises a storing and taking mechanism which is configured to move relative to a goods shelf and carry out goods storing and taking on a target storage position on the goods shelf; and the laser radar is arranged on the storing and taking mechanism and is configured to carry out scanning in the process that the storing and taking mechanism moves towards the target storage position to obtain information of the target storage position, so that after the storing and taking mechanism reaches the target storage position, goods storing and taking are carried out on the target storage position according to the information of the target storage position. Therefore, the goods storing and taking efficiency can be improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present application relates to the field of warehousing and logistics, and in particular to a storage and retrieval device, a storage and retrieval system, a warehousing system and a cargo storage and retrieval method. Background Art

[0002] The storage and retrieval mechanism is an important part of the warehousing system. It moves on the shelves and stores the goods into the target storage location on the shelves, or takes out the goods at the target storage location to realize the storage and retrieval of the goods at the target storage location.

[0003] In the process of storing and retrieving goods, it is necessary to obtain storage location information. For example, in the process of picking up goods, it is necessary to obtain the distance between the goods at the target storage location and the storage and retrieval part of the storage and retrieval mechanism, so as to accurately control the storage and retrieval part to extend accurately into place. For another example, in the inventory process, it is necessary to determine whether the target storage location is occupied and whether the space in the target storage location is sufficient to accommodate the goods, so as to determine whether the inventory can be carried out smoothly.

[0004] In order to obtain storage location information, the traditional detection method is to rely on multiple detection components such as cameras and photoelectric sensors on the access mechanism to perform combined measurements. Not only is the structure complex and the process cumbersome, but detection can only be performed when the access mechanism reaches the target storage location. There will be an obvious pause when the access mechanism reaches the target storage location, and access work will be performed only after the data is detected. The working fluency is low, which affects the access efficiency. Summary of the invention

[0005] A technical problem to be solved by this application is to improve the efficiency of cargo storage and retrieval.

[0006] In order to solve the above technical problems, the present application provides an access device, including:

[0007] A storage and retrieval mechanism, configured to move relative to the shelf and access goods to a target storage location on the shelf; and

[0008] The laser radar is installed on the access mechanism and is configured to scan and obtain information of the target storage location when the access mechanism moves to the target storage location, so that after the access mechanism arrives at the target storage location, it can access the goods in the target storage location according to the information of the target location.

[0009] In some embodiments, the access mechanism is configured to move to the height of the target storage location before moving to the target storage location, and then continue to move toward the target storage location at the height of the target storage location. The laser radar starts scanning after the access mechanism moves to the height of the target storage location; and / or the laser radar continues scanning during the process of the access mechanism moving toward the target storage location.

[0010] In some embodiments, the access mechanism is configured to move horizontally and vertically before moving to the target storage location, and first moves to the height of the target storage location, and then continues to move horizontally toward the target storage location at the height of the target storage location.

[0011] In some embodiments, the storage and retrieval mechanism has a cargo carrying portion for carrying cargo, and the laser radar is arranged on at least one side of the cargo carrying portion along a first direction, and the first direction intersects with the up and down direction and the cargo storage and retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism.

[0012] In some embodiments, the access device includes two groups of laser radars, each group of laser radars includes at least one laser radar, and the two groups of laser radars are located on both sides of the cargo carrying part along the first direction.

[0013] In some embodiments, the two sets of laser radars are installed at the same height and have the same distance from the cargo carrying portion in the first direction.

[0014] In some embodiments, the target storage location information includes at least one of the following:

[0015] The distance between the goods at the target storage location and the storage and retrieval mechanism in the goods storage and retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism;

[0016] Whether the target storage space is occupied;

[0017] Whether the space at the target storage location is sufficient to accommodate the goods to be stored.

[0018] In some embodiments, the laser radar is configured as at least one of the following:

[0019] Scan the goods at the target storage location to be picked up on the shelf to obtain point cloud data of the goods at the target storage location to determine the distance between the goods at the target storage location and the storage and retrieval mechanism in the goods retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism;

[0020] Scan the target storage location on the shelf to be stocked, and determine whether the target storage location to be stocked is occupied based on whether the point cloud data of the goods at the target storage location can be obtained;

[0021] The storage locations on both sides of the target storage location to be stocked on the shelf are scanned to obtain point cloud data of the goods at the storage locations on both sides of the target storage location to determine whether the space at the target storage location is sufficient to accommodate the goods to be stored.

[0022] In some embodiments, the laser radar is a single-line laser radar or a multi-line laser radar; and / or, the access device also includes a detection device, which detects the target storage location when the access mechanism reaches the target storage location to obtain information about the target storage location.

[0023] In addition, the present application also provides an access system, which includes:

[0024] The access device of any embodiment; and

[0025] The driving mechanism is connected to the storage and retrieval mechanism to drive the storage and retrieval mechanism to move relative to the shelf.

[0026] In some embodiments, the driving mechanism includes vertical rails, running wheels and a lift. The vertical rails are movably disposed on at least two cross beams of the shelf through the running wheels, so that the running of the running wheels on the cross beams can drive the vertical rails to move laterally relative to the shelf. The storage and retrieval mechanism is liftably disposed on the vertical rails through the lift, so that it can move vertically along the vertical rails under the drive of the lift.

[0027] In addition, the present application also provides a storage system, which includes:

[0028] Shelves; and

[0029] The access system of any embodiment.

[0030] In addition, the present application also provides a cargo storage and retrieval method of a warehousing system based on any one of the embodiments, comprising:

[0031] The storage and retrieval mechanism determines the coordinates of the target storage location on the shelf according to the storage and retrieval task, and moves toward the target storage location according to the determined coordinates of the target storage location;

[0032] When the access mechanism moves toward the target storage location, the laser radar on the access mechanism scans to obtain information about the target storage location;

[0033] After arriving at the target storage location, the storage and retrieval mechanism will access the goods in the target storage location based on the information obtained from the target location.

[0034] In some embodiments, the laser radar on the access mechanism performs scanning to obtain information of the target storage location including:

[0035] The laser radar performs scanning to obtain point cloud data within the scanning range;

[0036] From the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range, point cloud data related to the target storage location is identified;

[0037] The information of the target storage location is obtained according to the point cloud data related to the target storage location.

[0038] In some embodiments, identifying point cloud data related to the target storage location from the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range includes:

[0039] Determine the distance between the access mechanism and the target storage location during laser radar scanning;

[0040] According to the point cloud data within the scanning range and the determined distance between the access mechanism and the target storage location, point cloud data related to the target storage location is identified from the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range.

[0041] In some embodiments, the point cloud data related to the target storage location includes at least one of the following:

[0042] Point cloud data of the cargo at the target storage location;

[0043] Point cloud data of the goods at the storage locations on both sides of the target storage location.

[0044] In some embodiments, obtaining information of the target storage location according to the point cloud data related to the target storage location includes at least one of the following:

[0045] Determine the distance between the goods at the target storage location and the storage and retrieval mechanism in the goods storage and retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism according to the point cloud data of the goods at the target storage location to be picked up;

[0046] Determine whether the target storage location to be stored is occupied according to whether the point cloud data of the goods at the target storage location to be stored can be obtained;

[0047] According to the point cloud data of the goods at the storage locations on both sides of the target storage location, it is determined whether the space at the target storage location is sufficient to accommodate the goods to be stored.

[0048] In some embodiments, determining the distance between the access mechanism and the target storage location during the laser radar scan includes:

[0049] Determine the distance the access mechanism has moved during scanning;

[0050] The distance between the access mechanism and the target storage location is determined based on the coordinates of the starting position of the access mechanism, the coordinates of the target storage location, and the distance that the access mechanism has moved during scanning.

[0051] In some embodiments, during the process of scanning and acquiring information of the target storage location by the laser radar on the access mechanism, the laser radar continues to scan and determines whether the acquired information of the target storage location is credible based on whether the results of different scans are consistent.

[0052] In some embodiments, if the laser radar cannot obtain reliable information about the target storage location while the access mechanism moves toward the target storage location, a detection device installed on the access mechanism is used to detect the target storage location after the access mechanism reaches the target storage location.

[0053] By setting up a laser radar on the access mechanism, and having the laser radar scan and obtain the information of the target storage location when the access mechanism moves towards the target storage location, the access mechanism does not need to stop and wait for the acquisition of the target storage location information when it reaches the target storage location, but can directly perform the access operation. Therefore, it can effectively improve the smoothness of the access work and improve the access efficiency.

[0054] Other features and advantages of the present application will become apparent from the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the present application with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0055] In order to more clearly illustrate the embodiments of the present application or the technical solutions in the prior art, the drawings required for use in the embodiments or the description of the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of the present application. For ordinary technicians in this field, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without paying creative work.

[0056] Figure 1 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the storage system in the embodiment of the present application.

[0057] Figure 2 This is the front view of the warehousing system in the embodiment of the present application.

[0058] Figure 3 It is a three-dimensional schematic diagram of the access device in the embodiment of the present application.

[0059] Figure 4 Schematic diagram of the scanning range of the laser radar in the embodiment of the present application.

[0060] Figure 5 Schematic diagram of the scanning of the laser radar when the access mechanism reaches the height of the target storage position in the embodiment of the present application.

[0061] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning of the laser radar in the first scenario in an embodiment of the present application.

[0062] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning of the laser radar in the second scenario in an embodiment of the present application.

[0063] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the scanning of the laser radar in the third scenario in the embodiment of the present application. Description of reference numerals:

[0064] 10. Storage and retrieval mechanism; 11. Cargo loading section; 12. Storage and retrieval section;

[0065] 20. Driving mechanism; 21. Vertical rail; 22. Traveling wheel; 23. Lifting machine;

[0066] 30. Lidar; 31. Laser;

[0067] 40. Shelf; 41. Storage location; 42. Target storage location; 43. Beam; 44. Temporary storage mechanism;

[0068] 50. Site transport vehicle;

[0069] 60. Goods;

[0070] x, first direction; y, second direction; z, third direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] Various exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The description of the exemplary embodiments is merely illustrative and is by no means intended to limit the present application and its application or use. The present application can be implemented in many different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. These embodiments are provided to make the present application thorough and complete and to fully express the scope of the present application to those skilled in the art. It should be noted that unless otherwise specifically stated, the relative arrangement of the parts and steps, the composition of the materials, the numerical expressions and the numerical values ​​set forth in these embodiments should be interpreted as being merely exemplary, rather than as limitations.

[0072] The terms "including" and "having" and any variations thereof in the specification and claims of this application and the above-mentioned figure descriptions are intended to cover non-exclusive inclusions. In the description of the embodiments of this application, the technical terms "first" and "second" are only used to distinguish different objects, and cannot be understood as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly indicating the number, specific order or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features.

[0073] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of associated objects, indicating that three relationships may exist. For example, A and / or B can represent: A exists alone, A and B exist at the same time, and B exists alone. In addition, if the character " / " appears in the present application, it generally indicates that the associated objects before and after are in an "or" relationship.

[0074] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "multiple" refers to more than two (including two). Similarly, "multiple groups" refers to more than two groups (including two groups), and "multiple pieces" refers to more than two pieces (including two pieces).

[0075] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "at least one" refers to one or more than two (including two), similarly, "at least one group" refers to one group or more than two (including two), and "at least one piece" refers to one piece or more than two (including two). In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "at least part" refers to part or all.

[0076] Unless otherwise specified, in the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "lateral", "length", "width", "thickness", "up", "down", "front", "back", "left", "right", "vertical", "horizontal", "top", "bottom", "inside", "outside", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential", etc., indicating the orientation or position relationship, are based on the orientation or position relationship shown in the accompanying drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the referred device or element must have a specific orientation, be constructed and operated in a specific orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as a limitation on the embodiments of the present application.

[0077] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise clearly specified and limited, technical terms such as "installed", "connected", "connected", "fixed" and the like should be understood in a broad sense. For example, it can be a fixed connection, a detachable connection, or an integral connection; it can be a mechanical connection or an electrical connection; it can be a direct connection or an indirect connection through an intermediate medium, and it can be the internal connection of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those of ordinary skill in the art, the specific meanings of the above terms in the embodiments of the present application can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0078] All terms (including technical terms or scientific terms) used in this application have the same meaning as those understood by ordinary technicians in the field to which this application belongs, unless otherwise specifically defined. It should also be understood that terms defined in general dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and should not be interpreted in an idealized or extremely formal sense, unless explicitly defined herein.

[0079] Technologies, methods, and equipment known to ordinary technicians in the relevant art may not be discussed in detail, but where appropriate, the technologies, methods, and equipment should be considered as part of the specification.

[0080] In order to improve the efficiency of goods storage and retrieval, the present application provides a storage and retrieval device, a storage and retrieval system and a warehousing system.

[0081] Figure 1-Figure 8 The storage system, storage and retrieval system and storage and retrieval device of the present application are shown by way of example.

[0082] See also Figure 1 In the present application, the storage system includes shelves 40 and a storage and retrieval system.

[0083] The shelf 40 is used to store goods 60. The shelf 40 has at least one storage layer, such as a single layer or at least two storage layers. Each storage layer has at least one storage position 41, such as a single storage position 41 or at least two storage positions 41. The storage position 41 is used to store goods 60.

[0084] The goods 60 may be any items that can be stored on the shelf 40 and can be accessed. For example, in some embodiments, the goods 60 are finished products, semi-finished products, or raw materials. For another example, in some embodiments, the goods 60 may include containers such as pallets, boxes, packaging boxes, or packaging bags for containing finished products, semi-finished products, or raw materials, and the containers may contain items or may not contain items.

[0085] The storage location 41 can be enclosed by a frame on the shelf 40, for example, by separating at least one storage location 41 arranged transversely by a plurality of vertical beams or vertical boards arranged transversely at intervals. Alternatively, the storage location 41 can also be obtained by other methods, for example, not by vertical beams or vertical boards, but by using the space between the goods on the left and right sides as the storage location 41. This method adopts a non-fixed position storage method, and determines the available storage location 41 according to the placement of the goods on the shelf 40 before storage.

[0086] The storage and retrieval system is used to store and retrieve goods 60 from each storage location 41 on the shelf 40, that is, the storage and retrieval system can take out goods 60 from each storage location 41 on the shelf 40 and send them to other locations, and can also store goods 60 from other locations into each storage location 41. Among the storage locations 41, the storage location 41 to be stored and retrieved is called the target storage location 42 (see Figure 2 ).

[0087] For the storage system, it may include a single shelf 40 or a plurality of shelves 40 arranged at intervals in the horizontal direction. A lane for the operation of the storage and retrieval system may be formed between adjacent shelves 40, so that the storage and retrieval system can transport the goods 60 in the lane in at least one direction parallel to the shelf facade. The lower side of the shelf 40, the lane and the area around the shelf 40 can be operated by the site transport trolley 50, so that the goods 60 can be transported by the site transport trolley 50.

[0088] Figure 1 The scene in which the storage and retrieval system is located between two adjacent shelves 40 is shown, and three directions are shown, namely, a first direction x, a second direction y, and a third direction z. The third direction z may be parallel to the vertical direction (or up and down direction), and the second direction y may be parallel to the goods storage and retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 in the storage and retrieval system (also the depth direction of the storage location 41), therefore, the second direction y may also be referred to as the goods storage and retrieval direction y.

[0089] The first direction x intersects with the second direction y, for example, is perpendicular to the second direction y, or forms an acute angle or an obtuse angle with the second direction y. The first direction x may also intersect with the third direction z, for example, is perpendicular to the third direction z, or forms an acute angle or an obtuse angle with the third direction z. The second direction y may intersect with the third direction z, for example, is perpendicular to the third direction z, or forms an acute angle or an obtuse angle with the third direction z.

[0090] Figure 2 The structure of the access system is further shown. Figure 2 The access system includes an access device and a driving mechanism 20. The access device includes an access mechanism 10.

[0091] The storage and retrieval mechanism 10 is configured to move relative to the shelf 40 and to store and retrieve goods from a target storage location 42 on the shelf 40 , that is, to store the goods 60 into the target storage location 42 on the shelf 40 or to retrieve the goods 60 from the target storage location 42 .

[0092] Figure 3 The structure of the access mechanism 10 is further shown. Figure 3 The storage and retrieval mechanism 10 includes a cargo-carrying portion 11, which is used to carry cargo 60. In addition, the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 also includes a storage and retrieval portion 12. The storage and retrieval portion 12 is used to combine with the cargo 60 and realize the transportation of the cargo 60 between the cargo-carrying portion 11 and the target storage position 42. Specifically, in some embodiments, the storage and retrieval portion 12 includes a hook, and is telescopically arranged relative to the cargo-carrying portion 11, so as to approach the cargo 60 by extending, combine with the cargo 60, and pull the cargo 60 toward the cargo-carrying portion 11 by retracting. The cargo-carrying portion 11 includes a conveying belt, which carries the cargo 60 and drives the cargo 60 to move, so that the cargo 60 pulled by the storage and retrieval portion 12 is further away from the target storage position 42, or the cargo 60 on the cargo-carrying portion 11 is close to the target storage position 42, so as to cooperate with the storage and retrieval portion 12 to realize the entry and exit of the cargo 60 on the storage and retrieval mechanism 10. The conveying direction of the conveyor belt and the push-pull direction of the access portion 12 are parallel to the cargo access direction of the access mechanism 10, and are both along the second direction y.

[0093] The drive mechanism 20 is connected to the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 and drives the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 to move relative to the shelf 40 so that the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can move to the target storage location 42. The drive mechanism 20 drives the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 in a manner including but not limited to a track guide manner, a suspension manner, or a mechanical arm drive manner. Figure 2, the driving mechanism 20 includes a vertical rail 21, a running wheel 22 and a lift 23. The vertical rail 21 is movably arranged on at least two cross beams 43 of the shelf 40 through the running wheel 22, so that the vertical rail 21 can be driven to move horizontally by the running of the running wheel 22 on the cross beam 43. The storage and retrieval mechanism 10 is movably arranged on the vertical rail 21 through the lift 23, so that it can move vertically along the vertical rail 21 under the drive of the lift 23. In this way, the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can move horizontally with the movement of the vertical rail 21 along the cross beam 43, and can move up and down by moving vertically along the vertical rail 21 under the drive of the lift 23, so that the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can move horizontally ( Figure 2 The first direction x) and the vertical direction ( Figure 2 The third direction z) moves in the middle, and moves relative to the shelf 40 to reach or leave the target storage location 42.

[0094] To improve the efficiency of cargo storage and retrieval, see Figure 3 In the present application, the access device includes not only the access mechanism 10, but also the laser radar 30. The laser radar 30 is arranged on the access mechanism 10 and is configured to scan and obtain information of the target storage location 42 when the access mechanism 10 moves to the target storage location 42, so that after the access mechanism 10 arrives at the target storage location 42, the target storage location 42 can be accessed according to the information of the target storage location 42.

[0095] LiDAR is a target detection technology that uses laser as a signal light source. It emits laser to the target object to collect the reflected signal of the target object, thereby obtaining information such as the target object's direction and speed.

[0096] A laser radar 30 is arranged on the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 to detect the target storage location information. Since the laser radar 30 can detect the target storage location information by itself without the cooperation of other detection components, it is helpful to simplify the structure, reduce costs, and prevent problems such as difficulty in control and low reliability of results caused by the cooperation of different detection components, thereby effectively improving the reliability of cargo storage and retrieval.

[0097] Moreover, since the laser radar 30 can form a scanning plane centered on itself, the scanning range is large, and the scanning position has no effect on the scanning result, it is possible to easily detect the information of the target storage location 42. In particular, the timing of detecting the target storage location information is no longer limited to after the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42, but can be advanced to before the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42, so that when the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42, it is no longer necessary to stop and wait for the acquisition of the target storage location information, but can directly perform the access operation without stopping. Therefore, the smoothness of the access work can be effectively improved, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of cargo access.

[0098] Since the laser radar 30 does not start scanning after the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42, but scans while the access mechanism 10 is moving toward the target storage location 42, the scanning is performed as the access mechanism 10 moves toward the target storage location 42, that is, the access mechanism 10 moves while the laser radar 30 scans. Therefore, the access mechanism 10 does not need to stop and wait for detection data after reaching the target storage location 42, but also does not need to stop and wait for detection data before reaching the target storage location 42. In other words, the access mechanism 10 does not need to stop and wait for storage location information detection data during the entire moving process. Therefore, the smoothness of the access work can be more effectively improved, thereby more effectively improving the efficiency of cargo access.

[0099] Moreover, since the laser radar 30 performs storage position detection before the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage position 42, it can provide pre-guidance for the work of the access mechanism 10. For example, before the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage position 42, it can promptly detect whether the target storage position 42 is suitable for storing and accessing the goods 60, and when the target storage position 42 is not suitable for storing and accessing the goods 60, the access mechanism 10 can be adjusted in time, effectively solving the problems of information acquisition lag and intervention lag of the access mechanism 10 caused by the in-place detection method (that is, the storage position information detection method after the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage position), so that the access mechanism 10 does not need to find that it cannot access until it reaches the target storage position 42, resulting in a waste of time. Therefore, from this perspective, it is also conducive to improving the access efficiency.

[0100] It can be seen that by arranging the laser radar 30 on the access mechanism 10 and having the laser radar 30 scan and obtain the information of the target storage location 42 during the movement of the access mechanism 10 toward the target storage location 42, the access efficiency can be effectively improved.

[0101] Among them, the laser radar 30 scans during the process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42. The laser radar 30 can be scanned during the entire process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42, or the laser radar 30 only scans during a partial process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42.

[0102] For example, see Figure 5In some embodiments, the access mechanism 10 is configured to move to the height of the target storage position 42 before moving to the target storage position 42, and then continue to move toward the target storage position 42 at the height of the target storage position 42. The laser radar 30 starts scanning after the access mechanism 10 moves to the height of the target storage position 42. In this case, the laser radar 30 does not scan during the entire process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42, but only scans when the access mechanism 10 moves to the height of the target storage position 42 and continues to move toward the target storage position 42. It does not start scanning when the access mechanism 10 starts to move toward the target storage position 42, but only starts scanning after the access mechanism 10 moves to the height of the target storage position 42. When the access mechanism 10 and the target storage position 42 are at the same height, the scanning range of the laser radar 30 is more likely to cover the target storage position 42, and it is easier to successfully scan the target storage position 42 at a distance. Therefore, the scanning success rate can be improved, invalid data can be reduced, the requirements for storage space can be reduced, the data processing process can be simplified, and the entire detection process can be simpler and more accurate. At the same time, while meeting the detection requirements, the working time of the laser radar 30 can be shortened, the service life of the laser radar 30 can be extended, and the power consumption of the laser radar 30 can be reduced to prevent the laser radar 30 from running out of power due to excessive working time, thereby affecting normal scanning and detection. Among them, the access mechanism 10 can move vertically to the height of the target storage position 42 directly without moving horizontally after receiving the access task, or it can move horizontally and vertically after receiving the access task, but before moving horizontally to the target storage position 42, it first moves vertically to the height of the target storage position 42. Due to the latter, when the access mechanism 10 moves to the height of the target storage position 42, it is also closer to the target storage position 42 in the horizontal direction. In this case, the scanning range of the laser radar 30 is easier to cover the target storage position 42, and it is easier to successfully scan the target storage position 42 at a distance. Therefore, it is more conducive to improving the scanning success rate, reducing invalid data, simplifying the scanning and detection process, shortening the working time of the laser radar 30, extending the service life of the laser radar 30, and improving the working reliability of the laser radar 30.

[0103] In addition, the laser radar 30 can scan continuously or intermittently during the process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage location 42. When the laser radar 30 continuously scans during the process of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage location 42, the laser radar 30 can obtain more scanning data, which is convenient for mutual verification with different results, and whether the detection results are accurate can be determined based on whether the different results are consistent, and then determine whether the information of the target storage location 42 obtained is credible, whether the detection can be terminated and the obtained data can be used, so that the accuracy of the scanning detection results can be further improved, and it is convenient to achieve a more accurate and efficient cargo access process.

[0104] It can be understood that the information of the target storage location 42 may include at least one of the following:

[0105] The distance between the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 and the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 in the goods access direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10;

[0106] Whether the target storage location 42 is occupied;

[0107] Whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored.

[0108] Among them, when the information of the target storage location 42 includes the distance between the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 and the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 in the goods storage and retrieval direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10, it is convenient for the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 to accurately determine the distance that its storage and retrieval part 12 needs to extend when it reaches the target storage location 42 and performs the goods picking operation, so as to achieve a more accurate and efficient goods picking process.

[0109] In order to obtain the information about the distance between the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 and the access mechanism 10 in the access direction of the goods in the access mechanism 10, in some embodiments, the laser radar 30 scans the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 to be picked up on the shelf 40, and obtains the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 to determine the distance between the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 and the access mechanism 10 (specifically, the access unit 12) in the access direction of the goods in the access mechanism 10. Since the outline of the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 can be determined based on the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage position 42, the distance between the goods 60 at the target storage position 42 and the access mechanism 10 (specifically, the access unit 12) in the access direction of the goods can be conveniently determined based on the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage position 42, thereby conveniently controlling the access unit 12 to extend into place.

[0110] When the information of the target storage location 42 includes the information of whether the target storage location 42 is occupied, it is convenient to control whether the access mechanism 10 performs the access operation. If the scanning result shows that the target storage location 42 is not occupied, it means that there is no cargo 60 at the target storage location 42. In this case, the access mechanism 10 cannot take the cargo, but has the possibility of performing the inventory operation; if the scanning result shows that the target storage location 42 is occupied, it means that there is cargo 60 at the target storage location 42. In this case, the access mechanism 10 can take the cargo, but cannot perform the inventory operation. Therefore, if the access mechanism 10 originally needs to go to the target storage location 42 for inventory, it is necessary to stop the access mechanism 10 from continuing to perform the corresponding inventory operation, but return, or allocate other storage locations 41 to the access mechanism 10, and the access mechanism 10 will turn to the other storage locations 41 for inventory.

[0111] In order to obtain information on whether the target storage location 42 for the goods to be stored is occupied, in some embodiments, the laser radar 30 scans the target storage location 42 for the goods to be stored on the shelf 40, and determines whether the target storage location 42 for the goods to be stored is occupied based on whether the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 can be obtained. In this way, when the laser radar 30 can obtain the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42, it means that the target storage location 42 is occupied, and when the laser radar 30 cannot obtain the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42, it means that the target storage location 42 is not occupied. Therefore, it is convenient to determine whether the target storage location 42 for the goods to be stored is occupied.

[0112] In addition, when the information of the target storage location 42 includes information on whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, it is convenient to control whether the access mechanism 10 stores the goods 60 in the target storage location 42. When the scanning result shows that the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, the access mechanism 10 can perform the operation of storing the goods in the target storage location 42, and if the scanning result shows that the space at the target storage location 42 is insufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, the access mechanism 10 cannot successfully store the goods 60 in the target storage location 42, and therefore, the access mechanism 10 can be prevented from continuing to operate, so that the access mechanism 10 returns, and other storage locations 41 are allocated to the access mechanism 10 to store the goods in other storage locations 41. In fact, only when the target storage location 42 is not occupied and the space in the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, can the access mechanism 10 successfully complete the storage operation.

[0113] In order to obtain information on whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, in some embodiments, the laser radar 30 scans the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42 to be stored on the shelf 40, and obtains the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42, so as to determine whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored. In this way, the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42 can determine the width of the target storage location 42 located between the storage locations 41 on both sides, and then by comparing the width of the target storage location 42 with the width of the goods 60, it can be determined whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored, which is simple, convenient and highly accurate.

[0114] In the above embodiments, the structure of the laser radar 30 is not limited. For example, in some embodiments, the laser radar 30 is a single-line laser radar or a multi-line laser radar. When the laser radar 30 is a single-line laser radar, it can effectively reduce the cost while meeting the storage location information scanning and detection requirements.

[0115] See also Figure 3In some embodiments, the laser radar 30 is located on at least one side of the cargo loading part 11 of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 along the first direction x. In this way, the laser radar 30 is not located in the cargo storage and retrieval direction, and is not located in the direction of the cargo 60 entering and exiting the cargo loading part 11. Therefore, the risk of interference with the cargo 60 or the cargo storage and retrieval parts of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 is low, and it is more convenient to achieve an efficient cargo storage and retrieval process.

[0116] Among them, the laser radar 30 is arranged on at least one side of the cargo carrying part 11 along the first direction x, which means that the laser radar 30 can be arranged only on one side of the cargo carrying part 11 along the first direction x, or can also be arranged on both sides of the cargo carrying part 11 along the first direction x.

[0117] For example, see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the access device includes two groups of laser radars 30, each group of laser radars 30 includes one or more laser radars 30, and the two groups of laser radars 30 are located on both sides of the cargo carrying part 11 along the first direction x. The two groups of laser radars 30 can expand the detection range and achieve more comprehensive detection, and the obtained point cloud data can be mutually verified to improve the accuracy of the detection results. Moreover, the two groups of laser radars 30 can serve as backup for each other, so that when one group of laser radars 30 cannot detect due to failure or obstruction, the other group of laser radars 30 can perform scanning and detection. For example, in the inventory scenario, the goods 60 on the access mechanism 10 may block the laser radar 30 upstream in the direction of travel. In this case, the laser radar 30 downstream in the direction of travel can perform scanning, so as to achieve a more accurate and reliable scanning process.

[0118] Continue to see Figure 3 In some embodiments, the two sets of laser radars 30 are installed at the same height and at the same distance from the cargo carrying portion 11 in the first direction x. In this way, the scanning data obtained by the two sets of laser radars 30 are more consistent, and it is more convenient to check and backup each other, thereby improving the reliability of the scanning process and the accuracy of the scanning results.

[0119] In addition, in order to improve the reliability of the detection process, in some embodiments, the access mechanism 10 is not only provided with a laser radar 30, but also provided with a detection device (not shown). When the access mechanism 10 arrives at the target storage location 42, the detection device detects the target storage location 42 to obtain information about the target storage location 42. The detection device at this time is a static detection device. Unlike the laser radar 30, it does not perform dynamic monitoring before the access mechanism 10 arrives at the target storage location 42, but performs static detection after the access mechanism 10 arrives at the target storage location 42. When the laser radar 30 is set up, the detection device is further set up. The advantage is that the detection device can be used as a backup for the laser radar 30, so that when the laser radar 30 fails to obtain reliable data during the entire travel process of the access mechanism 10 due to a malfunction or other reasons, the detection device can be used to perform static detection to obtain storage location information, so that the cargo access process can proceed smoothly. Among them, the detection device can use the aforementioned multiple detection components to perform static detection. For example, the detection device can include a camera and a photoelectric sensor, and rely on the cooperation of the camera and the photoelectric sensor to detect storage location information. Alternatively, the detection device can also use a separate detection component such as a laser radar for static detection.

[0120] Based on the above embodiments, the present application also provides a cargo storage and retrieval method, which includes:

[0121] The storage and retrieval mechanism 10 determines the coordinates of the target storage location 42 on the shelf 40 according to the storage and retrieval task, and moves toward the target storage location 42 according to the determined coordinates of the target storage location 42;

[0122] When the access mechanism 10 moves toward the target storage location 42, the laser radar 30 on the access mechanism 10 scans to obtain information of the target storage location 42;

[0123] After arriving at the target storage location 42 , the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 deposits and retrieves goods from the target storage location 42 according to the information of the target storage location 42 obtained.

[0124] Based on the above steps, the storage location information is no longer obtained by the cooperation of multiple detection components after the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42, but is obtained by the laser radar 30 during the movement of the access mechanism 10 to the target storage location 42. After reaching the target storage location 42, the access mechanism 10 no longer needs to stop and wait for detection data, but can directly perform access operations. Therefore, the movement is smoother and the access efficiency can be effectively improved.

[0125] Specifically, in some embodiments, the laser radar 30 on the access mechanism 10 performs scanning to obtain information of the target storage location 42 including:

[0126] The laser radar 30 performs scanning to obtain point cloud data within the scanning range;

[0127] From the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range, identify and obtain point cloud data related to the target storage location 42;

[0128] According to the point cloud data related to the target storage location 42, the information of the target storage location 42 is obtained.

[0129] The laser radar 30 scans a range and obtains a series of point clouds, which are obtained when the laser 31 hits the goods 60 (of course, the storage location 41 is empty or the gap between the goods 60 will cause the point cloud to be empty, but these can be collectively referred to as point cloud data). In this way, through point cloud situation processing and identification, the information of the target storage location 42 can be easily obtained.

[0130] More specifically, in some embodiments, identifying point cloud data related to the target storage location 42 from the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range includes:

[0131] Determine the distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 when the laser radar 30 scans;

[0132] According to the point cloud data within the scanning range and the determined distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 , point cloud data related to the target storage location 42 is identified from the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range.

[0133] Among the point cloud data within the scanning range, the point cloud data corresponding to the determined distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 is the point cloud data at the target storage location 42. Therefore, based on the point cloud data within the scanning range and the determined distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42, the point cloud data related to the target storage location 42 can be easily identified.

[0134] In some embodiments, the point cloud data related to the target storage location 42 includes at least one of the following:

[0135] Point cloud data of the cargo 60 at the target storage location 42;

[0136] Point cloud data of the goods 60 at the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42.

[0137] Among them, the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 can characterize whether there are goods 60 at the target storage location 42 and the size of the goods 60, so as to determine whether the goods can be stored and retrieved and the extension distance of the storage and retrieval part 12 when retrieving the goods; and the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42 can characterize the width of the target storage location 42, so as to determine whether the space of the target storage location 42 is sufficient for storage.

[0138] In some embodiments, according to the point cloud data related to the target storage location 42, obtaining information of the target storage location 42 includes at least one of the following:

[0139] Determine the distance between the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 and the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 in the goods access direction of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 according to the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 to be picked up;

[0140] Determine whether the target storage location 42 to be stored is occupied according to whether the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the target storage location 42 to be stored can be obtained;

[0141] According to the point cloud data of the goods 60 at the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42, it is determined whether the space at the target storage location 42 is sufficient to accommodate the goods 60 to be stored.

[0142] The above three aspects of information can be used as a basis for determining the extension distance of the storage and retrieval part 12 when picking up goods and whether the target storage location 42 is suitable for storing goods, so as to facilitate the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 to smoothly implement the goods storage and retrieval process and improve the efficiency of goods storage and retrieval.

[0143] In some embodiments, determining the distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 when the laser radar 30 is scanning includes:

[0144] Determine the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved during scanning;

[0145] The distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 is determined based on the coordinates of the starting position of the access mechanism 10, the coordinates of the target storage location 42, and the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved during scanning.

[0146] Since the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved can be determined by its own encoder detection, and the starting position of the access mechanism 10 and the coordinates of the target storage position 42 are also known, the total distance that the access mechanism 10 needs to move is calculated from the starting position of the access mechanism 10 and the coordinates of the target storage position 42, and then the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved is subtracted to obtain the distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage position 42 when the laser radar 30 scans, which is simple and convenient.

[0147] In some embodiments, when the laser radar 30 on the access mechanism 10 scans and obtains information about the target storage location 42, the laser radar 30 continues to scan, and determines whether the information about the target storage location 42 obtained is credible based on whether the results of different scans are consistent. In this way, the accuracy of the detection result of the laser radar 30 can be improved.

[0148] In some embodiments, if the laser radar 30 is unable to obtain reliable information about the target storage location 42 during the movement of the access mechanism 10 toward the target storage location 42, the detection device provided on the access mechanism 10 is used to detect the target storage location 42 after the access mechanism 10 reaches the target storage location 42. In this way, even if the laser radar 30 is unable to obtain reliable data, the detection device can still be relied on to obtain data through static detection, thereby smoothly realizing the storage and retrieval of goods.

[0149] Next, combine Figure 1-Figure 8 The embodiments shown are used to further illustrate the present application.

[0150] like Figure 1-Figure 8 As shown, in this embodiment, the storage system is a stereoscopic storage system, which includes a plurality of shelves 40, and each shelf 40 has multiple storage layers, and each storage layer is provided with a plurality of storage locations 41. The width, depth and height directions of the storage location 41 are respectively along the first direction x, the second direction y and the third direction z. The first direction x, the second direction y and the third direction z are perpendicular to each other, and the third direction z is the up-down direction.

[0151] The access of the goods 60 (specifically, the material boxes in this embodiment) on the shelf 40 is realized by the access system and the field transport trolley 50. The field transport trolley 50 travels on the ground and is used to deliver the goods 60 to the temporary storage mechanism 44 of the shelf 40, or to take them out from the temporary storage mechanism 44 of the shelf 40, so as to achieve the entry and exit of the goods 60 on the temporary storage mechanism 44. The access system is arranged on the shelf 40, and is used to take the goods 60 out of the temporary storage mechanism 44 and deliver them to other storage locations 41, or to take the goods 60 out of other storage locations 41 and deliver them to the temporary storage mechanism 44. The storage locations 41 accessed by the access system include the storage locations on the temporary storage mechanism 44 (also called temporary storage locations) and other storage locations 41 on the shelf 40.

[0152] like Figure 1-Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the access system includes an access device and a driving mechanism 20, and the access device includes an access mechanism 10, two laser radars 30 and a detection device (not shown).

[0153] Under the action of the driving mechanism 20 , the access mechanism 10 moves horizontally along the first direction x and vertically along the third direction z on the shelf 40 to switch between different storage locations 41 of the shelf 40 and access goods 60 in different storage locations 41 .

[0154] Depend on Figure 2It can be seen that in this embodiment, the driving mechanism 20 includes a vertical rail 21, a running wheel 22 and a lift 23. The vertical rail 21 is movably arranged on two beams 43 extending along the first direction x of the shelf 40 through the running wheel 22, so that the vertical rail 21 is driven to move along the first direction x by the running of the running wheel 22 on the beam 43, thereby driving the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 to move along the first direction x. The storage and retrieval mechanism 10 is movably arranged on the vertical rail 21 through the lift 23, so that it can move vertically along the vertical rail 21 under the drive of the lift 23 to achieve movement in the third direction z. In this way, the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can reach or leave the target storage position 42 by moving in the horizontal direction (i.e., the first direction x) and the vertical direction (i.e., the third direction z).

[0155] The two laser radars 30 are used to perform real-time dynamic scanning and obtain information of the target storage location 42 as the access mechanism 10 moves toward the target storage location 42. Figure 3 It can be seen that in this embodiment, the two laser radars 30 are both single-line laser radars, which are arranged on both sides of the cargo carrying part 11 of the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 along the first direction x, and are installed at the same height and at the same distance from the cargo carrying part 11. Figure 4 As shown, the laser radar 30 can form a scanning plane centered on itself. The size of the scanning plane is related to the scanning radius of the laser radar 30. In this embodiment, the scanning radius of the laser radar 30 is 3 to 8 meters, for example, 3 meters, 4 meters, 5 meters, 6 meters, 7 meters or 8 meters.

[0156] The detection device is used as a backup for the two laser radars 30 , and is used to perform static detection and obtain information of the target storage location 42 after the access mechanism 10 moves to the target storage location 42 in case the two laser radars 30 fail.

[0157] Based on the structural setting of this embodiment, the information acquisition process of the target storage location 42 is roughly as follows:

[0158] After the access mechanism 10 obtains the access task, it determines the coordinates of the target storage location 42 according to the access task, and moves toward the target storage location 42 by moving horizontally with the vertical rail 21 and moving vertically along the vertical rail 21. During the movement, the horizontal movement and vertical movement of the access mechanism 10 are performed synchronously. However, before the access mechanism 10 reaches the position of the target storage location 42 horizontally, it first moves vertically to the height of the target storage location 42. Figure 5As shown, assuming that position A is the starting position of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42, and position B is the middle position of the access mechanism 10 moving toward the target storage position 42, then by comparing position A and position B, it can be seen that the access mechanism 10 moves horizontally and vertically, and the access mechanism 10 first moves to the height of the target storage position 42, and then at the height of the target storage position 42, continues to move toward the target storage position 42 in the horizontal direction. When the access mechanism 10 reaches the height of the target storage position 42, the laser radar 30 starts scanning, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown, at this time, the laser 31 emitted by the laser radar 30 can scan the target storage location 42 in the distance. In this way, based on the characteristics of the laser radar 30, the scanning position has no effect on the scanning result. Therefore, it can be obtained whether there is a cargo 60 in the target storage location 42, whether the space of the target storage location 42 can accommodate the cargo 60, and the horizontal distance between the cargo 60 at the target storage location 42 and the laser radar 30 (based on this distance, the extension distance of the access unit 12 when picking up the cargo can be calculated). In this way, when the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 moves to the target storage location 42, there is no need to wait, and the subsequent storage or picking operations can be carried out directly, which is simple and efficient.

[0159] In the above process, when the laser radar 30 scans, a series of point clouds will be obtained. These point clouds are obtained when the laser 31 hits the goods 60 (of course, the storage location 41 is empty or there will be a point cloud gap between the goods 60, but they can be collectively referred to as point cloud conditions). On this basis, through point cloud condition processing and identification, combined with the distance between the storage and access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42, the situation of the target storage location 42 can be determined and the information of the target storage location 42 can be obtained.

[0160] Among them, the horizontal movement distance of the vertical rail 21 and the vertical movement distance of the access mechanism 10 can be determined according to its own encoder, and the distance it has walked can be calculated. In addition, the starting position of the access mechanism 10 and the coordinates of the target storage location 42 are also set in the system. Therefore, the access mechanism 10 can actually determine its distance from the target storage location 42 in real time.

[0161] Since the access mechanism 10 can determine the distance between itself and the target storage location 42 in real time, and the laser radar 30 can scan and obtain point cloud data within the scanning range covering the target storage location 42 in real time, the two can be combined to determine the point cloud data related to the target storage location 42, that is, the point cloud data of the target storage location 42 and the storage locations 41 around it can be determined, and then the information of the target storage location 42 can be obtained for controlling the access mechanism 10 to perform access operations.

[0162] Figure 6-Figure 8 Three scanning scenarios of the laser radar 30 are shown as examples, wherein the dotted circle represents the scanning range of the laser radar 30 .

[0163] in, Figure 6 The figure shows a situation in which there is a cargo 60 at the target storage location 42 in a pickup scenario. Figure 6 As shown, in the corresponding scenario, after the access mechanism 10 reaches the height of the target storage location 42, the laser radar 30 scans in real time as the access mechanism 10 moves toward the target storage location 42, and obtains a lot of point cloud data including the target storage location 42. In this case, since the coordinates of the target storage location 42 and the starting position coordinates of the access mechanism 10 are known, and the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved can be determined in real time, the distance between the access mechanism 10 and the target storage location 42 when the laser radar 30 scans can be determined by combining the coordinates of the target storage location 42, the starting position coordinates of the access mechanism 10, and the distance that the access mechanism 10 has moved, so as to identify which point cloud data are the point cloud data at the target storage location 42 from the point cloud data within the scanning range. Since the point cloud data at the target storage location 42 can be obtained after identification, it can be determined that there is a cargo 60 at the target storage location 42, and the cargo pickup operation can be performed. Furthermore, based on the point cloud data at the determined target storage location 42, the distance between the goods 60 to be taken out and the laser radar 30 can be determined, and then the distance between the goods 60 to be taken out and the access part 12 of the access mechanism 10 can be calculated. In this way, when the access mechanism 10 is performing a picking operation, its access part 12 can be extended to an accurate distance to act on the goods 60, thereby reducing the risk of failure in taking out due to insufficient extension distance, or the risk of damaging the goods 60 or damaging the access part 12 due to excessive extension distance, thereby improving the success rate of taking out goods.

[0164] Figure 7 The figure shows a situation in which there is no cargo 60 at the target storage location 42, but there are cargo 60 on both sides in the inventory scenario. Figure 7 As shown, in the corresponding scenario, the laser radar 30 cannot scan the point cloud data at the target storage location 42. Therefore, it can be determined that there is no cargo 60 at the target storage location 42 and the target storage location 42 is not occupied. In addition, based on the point cloud data of the storage locations 41 on both sides of the target storage location 42 detected by the laser radar 30, the width of the target storage location 42 can be determined, and it can be determined that the width of the target storage location 42 is suitable for accommodating the cargo 60. In this way, it can be determined whether the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can successfully store the cargo 60 in the target storage location 42.

[0165] Figure 8 The same inventory scenario is shown, but Figure 7The difference is that in this scenario, not only is there no cargo 60 at the target storage location 42, but the storage locations 41 surrounding the target storage location 42 are also empty, with no cargo 60. In this case, the laser radar 30 cannot obtain the point cloud information of the target storage location 42 and its surrounding storage locations 41, but it can be determined that the target storage location 42 and its surrounding storage locations 41 are not occupied. In this case, the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 can also successfully store the cargo 60 into the target storage location 42.

[0166] In actual work, the two laser radars 30 of this embodiment usually work simultaneously to verify the data of the two laser radars 30 and obtain more accurate results. In the storage box scenario, the storage and retrieval mechanism 10 is pre-loaded with goods 60, which may block the laser radar 30 on the upstream side of the travel direction. In this case, the laser radar 30 on the downstream side of the travel direction can be used to scan and obtain data and determine the storage location.

[0167] In addition, since the laser radar 30 performs real-time detection during the movement of the access mechanism 10, there may be situations where the results are unreliable or no data may be obtained. Therefore, in this embodiment, the scanning of the laser radar 30 is a continuous scanning process. When the detection conditions are met, a mechanism of whether the two results are consistent can be used to determine whether the detection results are reliable, whether the detection can be terminated and the acquired data can be used. If reliable data cannot be obtained during the movement of the access mechanism 10, the detection device can perform static detection at the final target storage position to obtain the required detection results.

[0168] It can be seen that this embodiment can realize accurate and reliable detection of storage location information, and can enable the access mechanism 10 to directly perform access operations without waiting when reaching the target storage location 42, thereby effectively improving the access efficiency.

[0169] So far, various embodiments of the present application have been described in detail. In order to avoid obscuring the concept of the present application, some details known in the art are not described. Based on the above description, those skilled in the art can fully understand how to implement the technical solution disclosed herein.

[0170] Although some specific embodiments of the present application have been described in detail by way of examples, it should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above examples are only for illustration and not for limiting the scope of the present application. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that the above embodiments may be modified or some technical features may be replaced by equivalents without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. The scope of the present application is defined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A storage and access device, comprising: A storage and retrieval mechanism (10) is configured to move relative to the shelf (40) and to store and retrieve goods from a target storage location (42) on the shelf (H); and A laser radar (30) is arranged on the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) and is configured to scan when the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) moves toward the target storage location (42) to obtain information of the target storage location (42) so that after the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) arrives at the target storage location (42), the goods can be stored and retrieved from the target storage location (42) according to the information of the target location (SL).

2. The access device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The access mechanism (10) is configured to move to the height of the target storage position (42) before moving to the target storage position (42), and then continue to move toward the target storage position (42) at the height of the target storage position (42), and the laser radar (30) starts scanning after the access mechanism (10) moves to the height of the target storage position (42); and / or the laser radar (30) continues scanning during the process of the access mechanism (10) moving toward the target storage position (42).

3. The access device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The storage and retrieval mechanism (10) is configured to move horizontally and vertically before moving to the target storage location (42), and first move to the height of the target storage location (42), and then continue to move toward the target storage location (42) in the horizontal direction at the height of the target storage location (42).

4. The access device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The storage and retrieval mechanism (10) has a cargo carrying portion (11) for carrying cargo (60), and the laser radar (30) is arranged on at least one side of the cargo carrying portion (11) along a first direction (x), wherein the first direction (x) intersects with an up-down direction and a cargo storage and retrieval direction (y) of the storage and retrieval mechanism (10).

5. The access device according to claim 4, characterized in that: The access device comprises two groups of laser radars (30), each group of laser radars (30) comprises at least one laser radar (30), and the two groups of laser radars (30) are located on both sides of the cargo carrying portion (11) along the first direction (x).

6. The access device according to claim 5, characterized in that: The two groups of laser radars (30) are installed at the same height and have the same spacing from the cargo carrying portion (11) in the first direction (x).

7. The access device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that: The information of the target storage location (42) includes at least one of the following: a distance between the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) and the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) in a goods storage and retrieval direction (y) of the storage and retrieval mechanism (10); whether the target storage location (42) is occupied; Whether the space at the target storage location (42) is sufficient to accommodate the goods (60) to be stored.

8. The access device according to claim 7, characterized in that: The laser radar (30) is configured as at least one of the following: Scanning the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) to be picked up on the shelf (40) to obtain point cloud data of the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) to determine the distance between the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) and the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) in the goods storage and retrieval direction (y) of the storage and retrieval mechanism (10); Scanning a target storage location (42) on the shelf (40) for goods to be stored, and determining whether the target storage location (42) for goods to be stored is occupied based on whether point cloud data of goods (60) at the target storage location (42) can be obtained; The storage locations (41) on both sides of the target storage location (42) to be stocked on the shelf (40) are scanned to obtain point cloud data of the goods (60) at the storage locations (41) on both sides of the target storage location (42) to determine whether the space at the target storage location (42) is sufficient to accommodate the goods (60) to be stored.

9. The access device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, characterized in that: The laser radar (30) is a single-line laser radar or a multi-line laser radar; and / or the access device further comprises a detection device, wherein when the access mechanism (10) reaches the target storage location (42), the detection device detects the target storage location (42) to obtain information of the target storage location (42).

10. A storage and access system, characterized in that: include: The access device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 9; and A driving mechanism (20) is drivingly connected to the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) to drive the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) to move relative to the shelf (40).

11. The access system according to claim 10, characterized in that: The driving mechanism (20) comprises a vertical rail (21), a running wheel (22) and an elevator (23); the vertical rail (21) is movably arranged on at least two cross beams (43) of the shelf (40) via the running wheel (22), so that the running of the running wheel (22) on the cross beam (43) drives the vertical rail (21) to move horizontally relative to the shelf (40); the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) is movably arranged on the vertical rail (21) via the elevator (23), so that it moves vertically along the vertical rail (21) under the drive of the elevator (23).

12. A storage system comprising: Shelves (40); and The access system according to any one of claims 10 to 11.

13. A cargo storage and retrieval method based on the warehousing system according to claim 12, characterized in that: include: The storage and retrieval mechanism (10) determines the coordinates of a target storage location (42) on the shelf (40) according to the storage and retrieval task, and moves toward the target storage location (42) according to the determined coordinates of the target storage location (42); During the process of the storage and access mechanism (10) moving toward the target storage location (42), the laser radar (30) on the storage and access mechanism (10) performs scanning to obtain information of the target storage location (42); After arriving at the target storage location (42), the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) performs storage and retrieval of goods at the target storage location (42) based on the acquired information of the target locations (42).

14. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 13, characterized in that: The laser radar (30) on the access mechanism (10) performs scanning to obtain information of the target storage location (42), including: The laser radar (30) performs scanning to obtain point cloud data within the scanning range; Identifying point cloud data related to the target storage location (42) from the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range; Information of the target storage location (42) is acquired based on point cloud data related to the target storage location (42).

15. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 14, characterized in that: From the point cloud data obtained within the scanning range, the point cloud data related to the target storage location (42) is identified, including: Determining the distance between the access mechanism (10) and the target storage location (42) when the laser radar (30) is scanning; According to the point cloud data within the scanning range and the determined distance between the access mechanism (10) and the target storage location (42), point cloud data related to the target storage location (42) is identified from the point cloud data within the scanning range.

16. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 14, characterized in that: The point cloud data related to the target storage location (42) includes at least one of the following: Point cloud data of the cargo (60) at the target storage location (42); Point cloud data of the goods (60) at the storage locations (41) on both sides of the target storage location (42).

17. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 16, characterized in that: According to the point cloud data related to the target storage location (42), obtaining information of the target storage location (42) includes at least one of the following: Determining the distance between the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) and the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) in the goods storage and retrieval direction (y) of the storage and retrieval mechanism (10) based on the point cloud data of the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) to be retrieved; Determining whether the target storage location (42) to be stocked is occupied according to whether point cloud data of the goods (60) at the target storage location (42) to be stocked can be obtained; Based on the point cloud data of the goods (60) at the storage locations (41) on both sides of the target storage location (42), it is determined whether the space at the target storage location (42) is sufficient to accommodate the goods (60) to be stored.

18. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 15, characterized in that: Determining the distance between the access mechanism (10) and the target storage location (42) when the laser radar (30) is scanning includes: Determining the distance that the access mechanism (10) has moved during scanning; The distance between the access mechanism (10) and the target storage location (42) is determined based on the coordinates of the starting position of the access mechanism (10), the coordinates of the target storage location (42), and the distance that the access mechanism (10) has moved during scanning.

19. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 13, characterized in that: During the process of scanning by the laser radar (30) on the access mechanism (10) to obtain information about the target storage location (42), the laser radar (30) continues to scan and determines whether the information about the target storage location (42) obtained is credible based on whether the results of different scans are consistent.

20. The cargo storage and retrieval method according to claim 13, characterized in that: If the laser radar (30) is unable to obtain reliable information about the target storage location (42) during the movement of the access mechanism (10) toward the target storage location (42), a detection device disposed on the access mechanism (10) is used to detect the target storage location (42) after the access mechanism (10) reaches the target storage location (42).

Images