Transport robot, storage location determination method, and warehousing system

Abstract

The application relates to the technical field of warehouse logistics, and discloses a carrying robot, a warehouse system, a storage location determination method, a storage location division method and a server. The carrying robot comprises a structural member, which is movably arranged on the side of a goods shelf in a first direction; a carrying device, which is movably arranged on the structural member in a second direction; a detection device, which is arranged on the carrying device; and a controller, which controls the carrying device to move in the second direction so that the detection device can detect the height of a detection member, controls the structural member to move in the first direction, and acquires the position information of the current carrying robot as a reference position if the detection device detects the detection member. The position information of at least one target storage location in the goods shelf is determined based on at least the reference position and preset storage location specification parameters. The application does not need to arrange positioning marks one by one at the storage locations, realizes storage location determination, and reduces the deployment and maintenance costs of the system.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to the field of warehousing and logistics technology, specifically to a handling robot, a method for determining warehouse location, and a warehousing system. Background Technology

[0002] With the rapid development of the warehousing and logistics industry, automated warehousing systems have been widely adopted. In automated warehousing systems, racks typically have multiple storage layers, with each layer having multiple storage locations along its length. Handling robots can move along guide rails on the sides of the racks and perform picking and placing operations at storage locations of different heights and positions using their onboard handling devices.

[0003] To achieve precise picking and placing of goods, the handling robots need to accurately determine the position of each storage location within the shelf coordinate system. Reducing the system deployment and maintenance costs during the location determination process is a pressing issue that needs to be addressed. Summary of the Invention

[0004] This application provides a handling robot, a method for determining warehouse location, and a warehousing system to reduce system deployment and maintenance costs during the warehouse location determination process.

[0005] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of this application, a handling robot is provided, comprising: The structural component is configured to be movably mounted on the side of the shelf along a first direction parallel to the length direction of the shelf; The handling device is configured to be movably mounted on the structural member in a second direction, which is parallel to the height direction of the shelf; A detection device, installed on the conveying device, is used to detect a test piece located at the end of the beam of the shelf; and The controller is configured as follows: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction until the detection device can detect the height of the detection piece; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction. If the detection device detects the detection component, the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position. Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

[0006] In one alternative approach, the controller is specifically configured as follows: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the target height, so that the detection range of the detection device is higher or lower than the target beam of the shelf, so as to avoid the target beam and be able to detect the detection item; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction, and the distance measurement value of the detection device is continuously acquired during the movement. In response to a jump in the distance measurement value, it is determined that the detection device has been detected, and the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position; Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

[0007] In one alternative embodiment, the beam end of the first shelf on which the handling robot is mounted has a first detection element, and the beam end of the second shelf opposite the first shelf on which the handling robot is mounted has a second detection element. The side of the handling device facing the first shelf on which the handling robot is mounted has a first detection device, and the side of the handling device away from the first shelf has a second detection device. The controller is configured to: The first detection device is used to detect the first detection item on the first shelf to determine the storage location information of the first shelf, and the second detection device is used to detect the second detection item on the second shelf to determine the storage location information of the second shelf.

[0008] In one alternative embodiment, the detection element has a protrusion protruding from the top and / or bottom surface of the target beam in the second direction.

[0009] In one alternative embodiment, the detection plane of the detection device corresponds to the protrusion of the detection element; and the detection plane of the detection device is higher than the top surface of the target beam or lower than the bottom surface of the target beam by a predetermined distance.

[0010] In one alternative approach, the position information of the handling robot is the coordinates of the handling robot relative to a preset origin of the shelf; The controller determines the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specification parameters, specifically: By combining the reference position with the preset storage location specification parameters, the center coordinates or corner coordinates of the target storage location in the first direction and the second direction are calculated as the location information of the target storage location.

[0011] In one alternative approach, the target beam is the beam corresponding to the target shelf unit of the shelf, and the preset storage location specification parameters include the width of a single storage location in the target shelf unit in the first direction and the distance from the center of the storage location located at the edge of the target shelf unit to the detection element at the end of the target beam.

[0012] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of this application, a method for determining the location of a storage location is provided, applied to a handling robot. The handling robot includes a structural component and a handling device. The structural component is movably mounted on the side of a shelf along a first direction, and the handling device is movably mounted on the structural component along a second direction. A detection device is mounted on the handling device for detecting a detection piece located at the end of a beam of the shelf. The first direction is parallel to the length direction of the shelf, and the second direction is parallel to the height direction of the shelf. The method includes: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the height of the detection piece; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction. If the detection device detects the detection component, the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position. Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

[0013] In one alternative approach, controlling the conveying device to move along the second direction to the height of the detection element includes: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the target height, so that the detection range of the detection device is higher or lower than the target beam of the shelf, so as to avoid the target beam and be able to detect the detection item; The control of the structural component to move along the first direction, and the acquisition of the current position information of the handling robot as a reference position by the detection device if the detection device detects the detection component, includes: The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction, and the distance measurement value of the detection device is continuously acquired during the movement. In response to a jump in the distance measurement value, it is determined that the detection device has been detected, and the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position.

[0014] In one alternative embodiment, the beam end of the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection element, and the beam end of the second shelf opposite the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a second detection element. The side of the handling device facing the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection device, and the side of the handling device away from the first shelf has a second detection device. The method further includes: The first detection device is used to detect the first detection item on the first shelf to determine the storage location information of the first shelf, and the second detection device is used to detect the second detection item on the second shelf to determine the storage location information of the second shelf.

[0015] In one alternative approach, the position information of the handling robot is the coordinates of the handling robot relative to a preset origin of the shelf; The determination of the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf, based at least on the reference location and preset storage location specification parameters, includes: By combining the reference position with the preset storage location specification parameters, the center coordinates or corner coordinates of the target storage location in the first direction and the second direction are calculated as the location information of the target storage location.

[0016] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of this application, a warehousing system is provided, comprising: A shelving unit includes uprights and beams extending along a first direction, with detection elements disposed at the ends of the beams. The first direction is parallel to the length direction of the shelving unit, and the second direction is parallel to the height direction of the shelving unit. As described in any of the above embodiments, the handling robot is movably mounted on the side of the shelf along the first direction.

[0017] According to a fourth aspect of the present application, a handling robot is provided, including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the warehouse location determination method described in any of the foregoing embodiments.

[0018] In this embodiment, a detection device is installed on the handling device of a handling robot, and the detection component at the end of the shelf beam is used as a reference for determining the warehouse location. During movement, the detection device detects the detection component to obtain the reference position, and then the location information of the target warehouse location is calculated by combining the warehouse location specification parameters. The entire warehouse location determination process does not require setting QR codes or punching holes at each warehouse location, reducing the deployment and maintenance costs of the system. At the same time, since the reference position is determined based on the fixed structural features of the beam end, the stability and reliability of the warehouse location determination are improved, and the warehouse location can be dynamically adjusted according to the reference position and actual needs, providing a basis for subsequent dynamic warehouse location division.

[0019] The above description is merely an overview of the technical solutions of the embodiments of this application. In order to better understand the technical means of the embodiments of this application and to implement them in accordance with the contents of the specification, and to make the above and other objects, features and advantages of the embodiments of this application more obvious and understandable, specific implementation methods of this application are described below. Attached Figure Description

[0020] To more clearly illustrate the technical solutions in the embodiments of this application or the prior art, the drawings used in the description of the embodiments or the prior art will be briefly introduced below. Obviously, the drawings described below are only some embodiments of this application. For those skilled in the art, other drawings can be obtained based on these drawings without creative effort.

[0021] Figure 1 A three-dimensional structural diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 2 A side view of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first shelf and the handling robot in the warehousing system provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a shelf provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a shelving unit provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a shelf in the beam end region provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 8 A schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram of a sensor detection principle provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 10 A top view schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 11 A flowchart illustrating a method for determining the location of a storage facility, as provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 12 A partial front view of a shelf in the beam end region provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single-depth storage location provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the dual-deep storage location provided in the embodiments of this application; Figure 15 A flowchart illustrating a storage location allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of dynamic storage location partitioning provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 17This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of dynamic storage location allocation in another embodiment of this application; Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of a storage location determination device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a storage location division device provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application; Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a server provided in an embodiment of this application.

[0022] The reference numerals in the detailed embodiments are as follows: 100 - Handling robot; 10 - Structural component; 20 - Handling device; 30 - Sensor; 31 - First sensor; 32 - Second sensor; 41 - First drive wheel; 42 - Second drive wheel; 43 - Controller; 51 - Detection plane; 200-Warehouse System; 300 - Shelf; 301 - First Shelf; 302 - Second Shelf; 310 - Shelf Upright; 320 - Beam; 330 - Inspection Component; 331 - Protrusion; 330a - First Inspection Component; 330b - Second Inspection Component; 340 - Guide Rail; 350 - Shelf Unit; 351 - Storage Location; 360 - Aisle; 12, 22 - Processor; 14, 24 - Memory; 16, 26 - Computer program; 400 - Server; 1700 - Storage location determination device; 1701 - Height control module; 1702 - Horizontal control module; 1703 - Baseline acquisition module; 1704 - Storage location determination module; 1800 - Storage location division device; 1801 - Reference acquisition module; 1802 - Size acquisition module; 1803 - Specification acquisition module; 1804 - Storage location division module; X - First direction; Y - Second direction; Z - Third direction. Detailed Implementation

[0023] Exemplary embodiments of the present application will now be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments of the present application are shown in the drawings, it should be understood that the present application may be implemented in various forms and should not be limited to the embodiments set forth herein.

[0024] In the description of the embodiments of this application, technical terms such as "first" and "second" are used only to distinguish different objects and should not be construed as indicating or implying relative importance or implicitly specifying the number, specific order, or primary and secondary relationship of the indicated technical features. In the description of the embodiments of this application, "multiple" means two or more (including two), and "multiple types" means two or more (including two), unless otherwise explicitly defined.

[0025] In automated warehousing systems, handling robots are typically installed on the sides of racks and can move along the length and height of the racks to reach different storage locations on different levels to perform picking and placing operations. To ensure the accuracy of picking and placing, the handling robots need to accurately know the precise coordinates of each storage location in the rack coordinate system.

[0026] The commonly used method for determining warehouse location in related technologies is to affix QR codes to each location or punch holes in the shelves as positioning markers. After a handling robot moves near the target location, it identifies the positioning marker using a camera or sensor to determine the location. However, a large warehousing system often has tens of thousands of locations. Installing and labeling each location individually is not only extremely costly in terms of materials, but also involves a huge amount of construction and subsequent maintenance work.

[0027] At the ends of the rack beams, there are usually hanging plates (or similar structural components) for connecting the beams to the uprights. These hanging plates often have a portion protruding from the top and / or bottom surface of the beam in the vertical direction. If the handling robot can detect the physical edge of this hanging plate, it can be used as a fixed physical reference point. After obtaining the coordinates of this reference point in the rack coordinate system, and combining this with known rack unit dimensions (such as beam length and storage location depth) and storage location specifications (such as the width of a single storage location and the distance from the edge of the storage location to the upright), the precise coordinates of all storage locations within the rack unit corresponding to that beam can be calculated. This method eliminates the need for QR codes, punching holes, or additional markings, directly reusing the inherent structure of the rack for storage location determination, reducing costs and operational complexity.

[0028] For ease of description, a coordinate system is first established. Three mutually perpendicular directions are defined: X (first direction), Y (second direction), and Z (third direction). X is parallel to the length of the shelving (horizontal direction), Y is parallel to the height of the shelving (vertical direction), and Z is parallel to the depth of the shelving (perpendicular to the aisle direction).

[0029] The origin of this coordinate system can be set as a fixed reference point on the shelf. For example, the corner point of the shelf located at the bottom, leftmost, and closest to the aisle can be set as the origin of the coordinate system. The coordinate value of the first direction X increases from the origin away from the origin along the length of the shelf, the coordinate value of the second direction Y increases from bottom to top along the height of the shelf, and the coordinate value of the third direction Z increases from the aisle towards the inside of the shelf along the depth of the shelf.

[0030] First, the overall architecture of the warehousing system provided in the embodiments of this application will be introduced.

[0031] Figure 1 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 2 This is a side view of the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of the first shelf and the handling robot in the warehousing system provided in an embodiment of this application. Figures 1 to 3 As shown, the warehousing system 200 includes shelves 300 and a handling robot 100. There can be multiple shelves 300. Some of the shelves 300 can be spaced apart along a third direction Z to form an aisle 360 ​​between them. For example, a first shelf 301 and a second shelf 302 are arranged opposite each other on both sides of the aisle 360. The handling robot 100 is mounted on the side of one of the shelves (e.g., the first shelf 301) and can move as a whole along a first direction X. The handling robot 100 is capable of performing pick-and-place operations on the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302.

[0032] The warehousing system may also include a server, which can be a central server, a cloud server, or an edge computing node. The server communicates with the handling robot 100, receiving baseline and / or storage location information uploaded by the robot. Based on the size information of the goods to be stored and the specifications of the shelving units, the server performs dynamic storage location partitioning and generates storage location information. When scheduling the handling robot 100 to perform tasks, the server sends the storage location information to the robot to guide it in performing retrieval and placement operations.

[0033] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a shelf structure provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 4 As shown, the shelving 300 includes multiple shelf uprights 310 and multiple beams 320 extending along a first direction X. The shelf uprights 310 extend along a second direction Y, and the beams 320 connect adjacent shelf uprights 310. The beams 320 and shelf uprights 310 together constitute the frame structure of the shelving 300.

[0034] Figure 5 This is a structural schematic diagram of a shelving unit provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 5As shown, and in combination Figure 4 A single shelving unit 350 refers to a storage layer area located between two adjacent shelving uprights 310. Each shelving unit 350 can be divided into multiple storage locations 351 along the first direction X. Figure 5 Three storage locations 351 are illustrated exemplarily. Each rack unit 350 includes at least one beam 320. A detection element 330 is provided at the end of the beam 320. The detection element 330 refers to a structural component located at the end of the beam 320 that can be detected by the detection device of the handling robot 100. In practical applications, the detection element 330 can reuse the inherent structural components of the rack 300 itself, such as hanging plates or connectors used to connect the beam 320 and the rack uprights 310, i.e., using the inherent structure of the rack to achieve reference point detection without the need for additional markings. Alternatively, the detection element 330 can also be a structural component additionally provided at the end of the beam for reference point detection in this embodiment of the application.

[0035] Figure 6 This is a partially enlarged schematic diagram of a shelf in the end region of a beam, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 6 As shown, the detection element 330 has a protrusion 331 protruding from the top and / or bottom surface of the crossbeam 320 in the second direction Y. This protrusion 331 is the target feature detected by the detection device. In one specific embodiment, the detection element 330 is a shelf hanger, which serves both as a structural function connecting the crossbeam 320 and the shelf upright 310 and as a positioning function as a detection reference. Hooks can be provided on the hanger, which are hung on the mounting holes of the shelf upright 310 to fix the crossbeam 320 to the shelf upright 310. It is understood that the detection element 330 may only protrude from the top surface or only from the bottom surface of the crossbeam 320 in the second direction Y, or both ends of the detection element 330 may protrude from the crossbeam 320 in the second direction Y. For a single shelf unit 350, the detection element 330 may be provided only at one end of its crossbeam 320, or the detection element 330 may be provided at both ends of the crossbeam 320. The detection requirements of this application embodiment can be met by setting the detection element 330 at only one end, and the end where the detection element 330 is set is used as the reference point for determining the storage location.

[0036] Figure 7 This is a three-dimensional structural diagram of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the hardware structure of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 7 and Figure 8 As shown, the handling robot 100 includes a structural member 10, a handling device 20, a detection device, and a controller 43. The structural member 10 is configured to be movably mounted on the side of the shelf 300 along a first direction X. Specifically, as... Figure 1-3As shown, a guide rail 340 extending along the first direction X is provided on the side of the shelf 300 (see [reference]). Figure 6 (The guide rail 340 of the shelf 300 is located on the outside of the crossbeam 320). The structural component 10 of the robot 100 is equipped with wheels that cooperate with the guide rail 340. The wheels include a first drive wheel 41 and a second drive wheel 42. The first drive wheel 41 is located at the lower part of the structural component 10, and the second drive wheel 42 is located at the upper part of the structural component 10. The first drive wheel 41 and the second drive wheel 42 can be driven to move the structural component 10 along a first direction X.

[0037] Structural component 10 includes two robot columns spaced apart along a first direction X, with a handling device 20 mounted between the two robot columns. This gantry structure offers good stability. The handling device 20 is configured to be movably mounted on structural component 10 along a second direction Y, and includes a loading section for picking up and placing goods. The loading section can be forks or other mechanisms capable of carrying and transporting goods. The forks are retractable along a third direction Z to extend into or out of the storage location to perform picking and placing operations.

[0038] The detection device can be any device capable of detecting the detection element 330 at the end of the beam 320 on the shelf 300, such as a sensor, camera, etc. The following embodiment uses sensor 30 as an example of the detection device, but is not limited thereto. Sensor 30 is mounted on the handling device 20 and is used to detect the detection element 330 located at the end of the beam 320 on the shelf 300. In one alternative embodiment, sensor 30 is a distance sensor, such as a photoelectric sensor or a laser rangefinder. A distance sensor can emit a light beam and receive reflected signals to measure its distance to an object in front. Laser rangefinders can achieve high-precision distance measurement using the Time-of-Flight (TOF) principle or triangulation principle, while photoelectric sensors with background suppression can effectively suppress interference from the beam background and only respond to target objects within a set distance range. In another alternative embodiment, sensor 30 can also be other types of devices capable of detecting the detection element 330, such as a camera, inductive sensor, capacitive sensor, etc.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the sensor detection principle provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 9 As shown, sensor 30 is a distance sensor with a detection plane 51, and the light beam is emitted along the third direction Z. When the conveying device 20 moves to a target height in the second direction Y, the detection plane 51 is just above or below the crossbeam 320, thus avoiding the crossbeam 320 itself and only detecting the protrusion 331 of the detection element 330 protruding from the crossbeam 320.

[0040] It is understood that the installation position of the sensor 30 on the conveying device 20 can be flexibly adjusted according to the specific arrangement of the detection element 330. For example, when the detection element 330 protrudes from the top surface of the crossbeam 320 in the second direction Y, the sensor 30 can be set on the top end side of the conveying device 20 (e.g., the top left and / or top right), so that its detection direction faces the upper region of the crossbeam 320; when the detection element 330 protrudes from the bottom surface of the crossbeam 320 in the second direction Y, the sensor 30 can be set on the bottom end side of the conveying device 20 (e.g., the bottom left and / or bottom right), so that its detection direction faces the lower region of the crossbeam 320. In addition, the sensor 30 can also be set at any position on the conveying device 20 according to actual detection needs, as long as the detection range of the sensor 30 can cover the protrusion 331 of the detection element 330. The embodiments of this application do not limit the specific installation position of the sensor 30 on the conveying device 20.

[0041] Please continue reading. Figure 8 The controller 43 is the control core of the handling robot 100, and it can be a microcontroller unit (MCU), a programmable logic controller (PLC), or an industrial personal computer (IPC). The controller 43 is communicatively connected to the drivers of each motor and the sensors. The controller 43 is configured to run a preset program to execute the storage location determination method provided in this embodiment. The controller 43 can also save the storage location determination result in local memory and / or upload it to a server via a communication module.

[0042] Figure 10 This is a top view schematic diagram of a warehousing system provided as an embodiment of this application. Please refer to... Figure 10In one embodiment, the beam end of the first shelf 301 on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection element 330a, and the beam end of the second shelf 302 on the opposite side of the first shelf 301 has a second detection element 330b. A first sensor 31 is provided on the side of the handling device 20 facing the first shelf 301, and a second sensor 32 is provided on the side of the handling device 20 away from the first shelf 301 (i.e., facing the second shelf 302). The detection direction of the first sensor 31 is towards the first shelf 301, and the detection direction of the second sensor 32 is towards the second shelf 302. The controller 43 is configured to use the first sensor 31 to detect the first detection element 330a on the first shelf 301 to determine the storage location information of the first shelf 301, and to use the second sensor 32 to detect the second detection element 330b on the second shelf 302 to determine the storage location information of the second shelf 302. In this way, a single handling robot 100 can complete the location determination of the storage locations of the shelves on both sides of the aisle 360, which is convenient to operate and improves the efficiency of storage location determination.

[0043] Next, the method for determining the warehouse location provided in the embodiments of this application will be described in detail.

[0044] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating a method for determining a storage location according to an embodiment of this application. This method can be applied to the aforementioned handling robot 100, and is specifically executed by the controller 43 of the handling robot 100. The method includes the following steps: Step S1101: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to a height where the detection piece can be reached.

[0045] The following explanation uses the determination of the storage location for a specific shelving unit 350 as an example. In this document, shelving unit 350 is defined as the target shelving unit, the beam on shelving unit 350 is defined as the target beam, and the storage location to be determined within the target shelving unit is defined as the target storage location. After the overall warehouse racking is assembled, the controller 43 controls the handling device 20 to move along the structural member 10 in the second direction Y until it reaches the target height corresponding to the target shelving unit. At this target height, the sensor's detection range can cover the protrusion 331 of the detection element 330 on the target beam of the target shelving unit, but avoids the target beam itself. Taking the sensor 30 as a distance sensor as an example, the target height satisfies the following condition: the detection plane 51 of the distance sensor is higher than the top surface of the target beam or lower than the bottom surface of the target beam by a preset distance D (e.g., ...). Figure 9 (As shown). The preset distance D can be set according to actual detection needs, for example, 20 mm. This ensures that when the sensor 30 moves horizontally subsequently, its beam will only illuminate the detection element 330 protruding from the target beam, and not the target beam itself, thus avoiding signal confusion.

[0046] Step S1102: Control the structural component to move along the first direction. If the sensor detects the detection component, obtain the current position information of the handling robot as the reference position.

[0047] The controller 43 controls the structural component 10 to move along the first direction X, that is, controls the entire handling robot 100 to move horizontally along the length of the shelf. During this process, the sensor 30 works continuously and feeds back the detection signals to the controller 43 in real time.

[0048] During the horizontal movement of structural component 10, sensor 30 will experience a state change from "not detected" to "detected".

[0049] Figure 12 This is a partial front view of a shelf in the beam end region, provided as an embodiment of this application. Figure 12 As shown, taking sensor 30 as a distance sensor as an example, when sensor 30 is far away from the detection element 330 (e.g., at a distance of 30), Figure 12 Point A in the diagram), its beam hits a distant shelf, wall, or aisle space, and the measured distance value is very large, which can be regarded as the background distance value. When the structural component 10 moves the sensor 30 towards the detection component 330 (the direction of movement is shown by arrow R in the diagram), the beam sweeps across the detection component 330 at the instant (e.g., reaching) Figure 12 At point B in the diagram, the target distance measured by sensor 30 will abruptly change from a large background distance value to the actual distance to the surface of the detection component 330 (e.g., tens of millimeters). Controller 43 monitors the distance reading of sensor 30 in real time. Once it detects a change in this distance value (i.e., a sudden change from a large value representing the space outside the beam to a small value representing the surface of the detection component), controller 43 immediately determines that the detection component 330 has been detected and records the current position information of the handling robot 100 as a reference position.

[0050] This position information refers to the coordinates of the handling robot 100 relative to the preset origin of the shelf 300. For example, the preset origin can be set to the lower left corner of the shelf 300. These coordinates can be calculated in real time by the encoders of the servo motors of each motion axis (such as the walking axis and the lifting axis) of the handling robot 100 itself. Specifically, this reference position can be represented as three-dimensional coordinates (x, y, z), where x is the coordinate along the first direction X, y is the coordinate along the second direction Y, and z is the coordinate along the third direction Z (usually at the origin position during the detection phase).

[0051] Step S1103: Determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf, based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specification parameters.

[0052] After obtaining the reference position (x, y, z), the controller 43 combines it with the preset storage location specification parameters to calculate the location information of the target storage location. The location information of the target storage location can be represented as the center coordinates or corner coordinates of a specific corner point (e.g., the lower left corner) of the target storage location in the shelf coordinate system.

[0053] Specifically, the storage location specification parameters include the width W1 of a single storage location in the target shelving unit in the first direction X, and the distance W2 from the center of the storage location located at the edge of the target shelving unit (i.e., the edge storage) to the detection piece 330 at the end of the target beam.

[0054] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a single-depth storage location provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 13 Taking a single-depth storage location (i.e., only one storage location is arranged in the third direction Z) as an example, if the reference position obtained in step S1103 is (x, y, z), then starting from the left side of the figure: The first storage location S1 is located at L1 (x + W2 - W1 / 2, y, z). The second storage location S2 is located at L2(x + W2 + W1 / 2, y, z). The third storage location S3 is located at L3 (x + W2 + W1 / 2 + W1, y, z). The fourth storage location S4 is located at L4 (x + W2 + W1 / 2 + 2W1, y, z).

[0055] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a dual-deep storage location provided in an embodiment of this application. (See attached diagram.) Figure 14 As shown, if it is a double-deep storage location (i.e., two storage locations arranged in the third direction Z), and the depth of a single storage location in the third direction Z is L, then the coordinate calculation method for the outer storage locations S11 to S15 is the same as the calculation method for S1 to S4 above. For the inner storage locations, starting from the left side of the diagram: The first storage location S21 is located at L21 (x + W2 - W1 / 2, y, z + L). The second storage location S22 is located at L22 (x + W2 + W1 / 2, y, z + L). The third storage location S23 is located at L23 (x + W2 + W1 / 2 + W1, y, z + L). The fourth storage location S24 is located at L24 (x + W2 + W1 / 2 + 2W1, y, z + L).

[0056] Those skilled in the art should understand that the above coordinate calculation formula is merely an illustrative example. The location of the storage location can be represented by any agreed-upon corner point of the storage location (such as the lower right corner, the center point of the storage location, the center point of the storage edge, etc.), and the corresponding calculation formula can be adjusted accordingly. The specific value of the distance W2 from the center of the edge storage to the detection piece can be obtained from the shelving design drawings, or it can be stored in the controller 43 after on-site measurement and calibration.

[0057] After calculating the location information of all target storage locations, the controller 43 can save this location information in local memory for later direct retrieval. Simultaneously, the controller 43 can also upload this location information to the server via the communication module. After the server aggregates the location information of all storage locations, it can perform global warehouse management and task scheduling. When controlling the handling robot 100 to perform picking and placing tasks, the server directly sends the location coordinates of the target storage locations, and the handling robot 100 automatically moves to the corresponding location to perform the operation.

[0058] In this embodiment, by installing sensor 30 on the handling device 20 of the handling robot 100 and using the detection element 330 at the end of the beam 320 of the shelf 300 as a positioning reference, the sensor 30 identifies the detection element 330 through changes in its detection signal during movement, thereby obtaining the reference position. This reference position is then combined with preset storage location specifications to calculate the location information of the target storage location. The entire storage location determination process eliminates the need to individually set QR codes or punch holes at each storage location 351, reducing system deployment and maintenance costs. Furthermore, since the reference position is determined based on the fixed structural features at the end of the beam 320, the stability and reliability of the storage location determination are improved. The storage location can also be dynamically adjusted according to this reference position and actual needs, providing a basis for subsequent dynamic storage location division.

[0059] This application also provides a method for partitioning storage locations. This method can be applied to a server to implement dynamic partitioning of storage locations.

[0060] Figure 15 This is a flowchart illustrating a storage location allocation method provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 15 As shown, the method includes the following steps: Step S1501: Obtain the reference position recorded by the handling robot through the detection component at the end of the shelf beam as a reference position.

[0061] The reference position is obtained by the handling robot 100 through the storage location determination method described in the above embodiment and uploaded to the server. The server receives and stores the reference position as a reference position. The reference position corresponds to the coordinates of the detection element 330 at the end of the beam 320 in the rack unit 350 in the rack coordinate system.

[0062] Step S1502: Obtain the size information of the goods to be stored.

[0063] When the warehousing system receives a goods receiving task, the server obtains the size information of the goods to be stored. The size information may include the length, width, and height of the goods. The length is the dimension of the goods along the third direction Z, the width is the dimension of the goods along the first direction X, and the height is the dimension of the goods along the second direction Y.

[0064] Step S1503: Obtain the specifications of the shelving unit.

[0065] The specifications include at least the beam length and storage depth of the rack unit 350. Beam length refers to the available length of a single rack unit 350 in the first direction (X), and storage depth refers to the available depth of the rack in the third direction (Z). These parameters can be pre-stored in a database on the server.

[0066] Step S1504: Based on the reference position, size information and specification parameters, divide the shelving unit into multiple storage locations in the length and depth directions, and determine the location information of each storage location.

[0067] Based on the obtained reference location (baseline location), cargo dimensions, and shelf specifications, the server automatically calculates the number and arrangement of storage locations that can be accommodated within the shelf unit 350, and generates the precise location coordinates of each storage location.

[0068] Specifically, the server determines the number of storage locations that can be accommodated along the length of the shelving unit 350, and the coordinates of each storage location along the length direction, based on the width of the goods to be stored and the length of the beams. Simultaneously, based on the length of the goods to be stored and the storage location depth, it determines the number of rows of storage locations that can be accommodated along the depth direction of the shelving unit 350, and the coordinates of each storage location along the depth direction. Finally, by combining the coordinates along the length and depth directions, the location information of all storage locations is obtained.

[0069] It should be understood that the execution order of steps S1501 to S1503 can be arbitrary. For example, the three steps can be executed sequentially or synchronously. This application does not limit this.

[0070] Figure 16 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of dynamic storage location partitioning provided in an embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 16As shown, assuming the reference position (coordinates of the beam end) is (1, 1, 0), the beam length is 2 meters, and the storage depth is 0.8 meters, when the received dimensions of the goods to be stored are 0.4 meters long and 0.4 meters wide, the server calculates that: 5 storage locations can be accommodated in the length direction (2 meters) (2 ÷ 0.4 = 5), and 2 rows of storage locations can be accommodated in the depth direction (0.8 meters) (0.8 ÷ 0.4 = 2). Therefore, this shelving unit 350 can be dynamically divided into double-depth storage locations, totaling 10 storage locations. The outer storage locations (closest to the aisle) are, from left to right, (1,1,0), (1.4,1,0), (1.8,1,0), (2.2,1,0), and (2.6,1,0); the inner storage locations (farthest from the aisle) are, in order, (1,1,0.4), (1.4,1,0.4), (1.8,1,0.4), (2.2,1,0.4), and (2.6,1,0.4).

[0071] Figure 17 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the effect of dynamic storage location partitioning, provided as another embodiment of this application. For example... Figure 17 As shown, when the received goods to be stored are 0.8 meters long and 0.5 meters wide, the server calculates that: 4 storage locations can be accommodated in the length direction (2 meters) (2 ÷ 0.5 = 4), and only 1 row of storage locations can be accommodated in the depth direction (0.8 meters) (0.8 ÷ 0.8 = 1). Therefore, this shelving unit 350 is divided into a single-depth unit with a total of 4 storage locations. From left to right, the positions are (1, 1, 0), (1.5, 1, 0), (2.0, 1, 0), and (2.5, 1, 0).

[0072] Furthermore, when calculating storage location, preset gap values ​​can be reserved in both the first direction (X) and the third direction (Z) as intervals between adjacent goods. Specifically, the width and length of the goods to be stored can be increased by the first-direction gap value ΔX and the third-direction gap value ΔZ, respectively, and then the storage location can be divided according to the dimensions after adding the gaps. The aforementioned gap values ​​can be determined based on factors such as the material of the goods, packaging tolerances, and the precision of picking and placing operations; for example, they can be set to a value between 5 mm and 20 mm. This can avoid squeezing damage or difficulties in picking and placing goods due to close contact between adjacent goods, further improving the safety and reliability of warehousing operations.

[0073] Through the above-mentioned dynamic storage location division method, the same rack unit 350 can be flexibly divided into different numbers and arrangements of storage locations according to the actual size of different batches of goods, which improves the utilization rate and flexibility of storage space and solves the problem of space waste caused by fixed storage locations in the existing technology.

[0074] Those skilled in the art will understand that the aforementioned handling robot 100 and server may also include other functional components, such as safety sensors for collision avoidance, communication modules, and human-machine interfaces. The figures show only components closely related to the embodiments of this application, and this application does not limit their scope.

[0075] This application embodiment also provides a storage location determination device, which is used to implement the storage location determination method executed by the controller 43 of the handling robot 100 in the above method embodiment. Figure 18 This is a schematic diagram of a storage location determination device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 18 As shown, the device 1800 includes a height control module 1801, a reference acquisition module 1802, and a storage location determination module 1803. The height control module 1801 controls the handling device to move along a second direction to a height capable of detecting the inspection item. The reference acquisition module 1802 controls the structural component to move along a first direction; if the inspection device detects the inspection item, it acquires the current position information of the handling robot as a reference position. The storage location determination module 1803 determines the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf, based at least on the reference position and preset storage location specification parameters.

[0076] The storage location determination device 1800 for the handling robot in this application embodiment also includes other modules for performing the steps of the above-described method embodiment for determining the storage location of the handling robot, which will not be described in detail here.

[0077] This application also provides a storage location partitioning device, which is used to implement the storage location partitioning method executed by the server in the above method embodiments. Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram of a storage location division device provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 19 As shown, the device 1900 includes a reference acquisition module 1901, a size acquisition module 1902, a specification acquisition module 1903, and a storage location division module 1904. The reference acquisition module 1901 acquires the reference position recorded by the handling robot through the detection of the sensor at the end of the shelf beam, serving as a reference position. The size acquisition module 1902 acquires the size information of the goods to be stored. The specification acquisition module 1903 acquires the specification parameters of the shelf unit, including at least the beam length and storage location depth. The storage location division module 1904 divides the shelf unit into multiple storage locations along its length and depth directions based on the reference position, size information, and specification parameters, and determines the location information of each storage location.

[0078] The storage location division device 1900 for the handling robot in this application embodiment also includes other modules for performing the steps of the above-described storage location division method embodiment for the handling robot, which will not be described in detail here.

[0079] This application also provides a handling robot. Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram of a handling robot provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 20 As shown, the handling robot 100 may include a processor 12 and a memory 14. The memory 14 stores a computer program 16. The processor 12 executes the computer program 16 to implement the warehouse location determination method performed by the robot 100 in the foregoing embodiments of this application.

[0080] This application also provides a server. Figure 21 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a server provided in an embodiment of this application. Figure 21 As shown, the server 400 may include a processor 22 and a memory 24. The memory 24 stores a computer program 26. The processor 22 executes the computer program 26 to implement the storage location partitioning method executed by the server in the foregoing embodiments of this application.

[0081] This application provides a computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method for determining the location of a storage facility or the method for dividing storage facilities.

[0082] This application provides a computer program product, including a computer program that, when executed by a processor, implements the above-described method for determining the location of a storage location or the method for dividing storage locations.

[0083] In the several embodiments provided in this application, any function, if implemented as a software functional module / unit and sold or used as an independent product, can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium. Based on this understanding, all or part of the technical solution of this application can be embodied in the form of a software product. This computer software product is stored in a storage medium and includes several instructions to cause a computer device (which may be a personal computer, server, or other electronic device) to execute all or part of the steps of the methods described in the various embodiments of this application. The aforementioned storage medium includes various media capable of storing computer program code, such as USB flash drives, portable hard drives, read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disks, or optical disks.

[0084] The algorithms or displays provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other device. Various general-purpose systems can also be used in conjunction with the teachings herein. The required structure for constructing such systems is apparent from the above description. Furthermore, the embodiments of this application are not directed to any particular programming language. It should be understood that the content of this application described herein can be implemented using various programming languages, and the above description of specific languages ​​is for the purpose of disclosing the best mode of implementation of this application.

[0085] It should be noted that the above embodiments are illustrative of this application and not restrictive, and those skilled in the art can devise alternative embodiments without departing from the scope of the appended claims. In the claims, any reference signs placed between parentheses should not be construed as limiting the claims. The word "comprising" does not exclude the presence of elements or steps not listed in the claims. The word "a" or "an" preceding an element does not exclude the presence of a plurality of such elements. This application can be implemented by means of hardware comprising several different elements and by means of a suitably programmed computer. In claims enumerating several means, several units or modules of these means may be embodied by the same item of hardware. The use of the words first, second, and third, etc., does not indicate any order. These words can be interpreted as names. The steps in the above embodiments, unless otherwise specified, should not be construed as limiting the order of execution.

[0086] The embodiments described above are merely illustrative of several implementation methods of this application, and while the descriptions are specific and detailed, they should not be construed as limiting the scope of this patent application. It should be noted that those skilled in the art can make various modifications and improvements without departing from the concept of this application, and these all fall within the protection scope of this application. Therefore, the protection scope of this application should be determined by the appended claims.

Claims

1. A transport robot, characterized in that, include: The structural component is configured to be movably mounted on the side of the shelf along a first direction parallel to the length direction of the shelf; The handling device is configured to be movably mounted on the structural member in a second direction, which is parallel to the height direction of the shelf; A detection device, installed on the conveying device, is used to detect the detection piece located at the end of the beam of the shelf; as well as The controller is configured as follows: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction until the detection device can detect the height of the detection piece; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction. If the detection device detects the detection component, the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position. Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

2. The handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The controller is specifically configured as follows: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the target height, so that the detection range of the detection device is higher or lower than the target beam of the shelf, so as to avoid the target beam and be able to detect the detection item; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction, and the distance measurement value of the detection device is continuously acquired during the movement. In response to a jump in the distance measurement value, it is determined that the detection device has been detected, and the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position; Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

3. The handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The beam end of the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection element, and the beam end of the second shelf opposite the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a second detection element. The side of the handling device facing the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection device, and the side of the handling device away from the first shelf has a second detection device. The controller is configured to: The first detection device is used to detect the first detection item on the first shelf to determine the storage location information of the first shelf, and the second detection device is used to detect the second detection item on the second shelf to determine the storage location information of the second shelf.

4. The handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The detection element has a protrusion that protrudes from the top and / or bottom surface of the target beam in the second direction.

5. The handling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that, The detection plane of the detection device corresponds to the protrusion of the detection element; and the detection plane of the detection device is higher than the top surface of the target beam or lower than the bottom surface of the target beam by a predetermined distance.

6. The handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that, The position information of the handling robot is the coordinates of the handling robot relative to the preset origin of the shelf; The controller determines the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specification parameters, specifically: By combining the reference position with the preset storage location specification parameters, the center coordinates or corner coordinates of the target storage location in the first direction and the second direction are calculated as the location information of the target storage location.

7. The handling robot according to claim 6, characterized in that, The target beam is the beam corresponding to the target shelf unit of the shelf, and the preset storage location specification parameters include the width of a single storage location in the target shelf unit in the first direction and the distance from the center of the storage location located at the edge of the target shelf unit to the detection element at the end of the target beam.

8. A method for determining the location of a storage facility, characterized in that, An application is made to a handling robot, the handling robot comprising a structural component and a handling device. The structural component is movably mounted on the side of a shelf along a first direction, and the handling device is movably mounted on the structural component along a second direction. The handling device is equipped with a detection device for detecting a detection piece located at the end of a crossbeam of the shelf. The first direction is parallel to the length direction of the shelf, and the second direction is parallel to the height direction of the shelf. The method includes: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the height of the detection piece; The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction. If the detection device detects the detection component, the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position. Based at least on the reference location and the preset storage location specifications, determine the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf.

9. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The control of moving the conveying device along the second direction to the height of the detection element includes: Control the conveying device to move along the second direction to the target height, so that the detection range of the detection device is higher or lower than the target beam of the shelf, so as to avoid the target beam and be able to detect the detection item; The control of the structural component to move along the first direction, and the acquisition of the current position information of the handling robot as a reference position by the detection device if the detection device detects the detection component, includes: The structural component is controlled to move along the first direction, and the distance measurement value of the detection device is continuously acquired during the movement. In response to a jump in the distance measurement value, it is determined that the detection device has been detected, and the current position information of the handling robot is obtained as the reference position.

10. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The beam end of the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection element, and the beam end of the second shelf opposite the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a second detection element. The side of the handling device facing the first shelf on which the handling robot is installed has a first detection device, and the side of the handling device away from the first shelf has a second detection device. The method further includes: The first detection device is used to detect the first detection item on the first shelf to determine the storage location information of the first shelf, and the second detection device is used to detect the second detection item on the second shelf to determine the storage location information of the second shelf.

11. The method according to claim 8, characterized in that, The position information of the handling robot is the coordinates of the handling robot relative to the preset origin of the shelf; The determination of the location information of at least one target storage location in the shelf, based at least on the reference location and preset storage location specification parameters, includes: By combining the reference position with the preset storage location specification parameters, the center coordinates or corner coordinates of the target storage location in the first direction and the second direction are calculated as the location information of the target storage location.

12. A warehousing system, characterized in that, include: The shelf includes uprights and beams extending along a first direction, with detection elements provided at the ends of the beams. The first direction is parallel to the length direction of the shelf, and the second direction is parallel to the height direction of the shelf. and The handling robot according to any one of claims 1-7, wherein the handling robot is movably mounted on the side of the shelf along the first direction.

13. A transport robot, characterized in that, The device includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored on the memory, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement the warehouse location determination method as described in any one of claims 8 to 11.

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