Transport robot, goods retrieval-and-placing positioning method therefor, warehousing system and storage medium

Abstract

The present application relates to the technical field of smart warehousing. Disclosed is a transport robot, comprising: a structural member, which is mounted on the side of a first shelf and can move relative to the first shelf in a first direction along a guide rail on the first shelf, the first shelf being provided with second storage positions; a transport device, which is mounted on the structural member and can move relative to the structural member in a second direction; and an identification device, which is mounted on the transport device and used for acquiring identification codes of first storage positions on a second shelf, each storage position on the second shelf being provided with an identification code. When executing a goods retrieval-and-placing task for a target storage position, the transport robot at least partially adjusts the position of the structural member and / or the transport device on the basis of a first deviation between the identification device and each identification code, the target storage position comprising the first storage positions or the second storage positions, and the second storage positions and the first storage positions being symmetrically arranged with respect to an aisle. By means of identification codes attached to one side, the present application enables positioning for goods retrieval-and-placing on double-sided shelf storage positions.

Description

Transport robot, goods taking and placing positioning method thereof, warehouse system and storage medium

[0001] The present application claims priority to the Chinese patent application No. 202410980798.4, filed on July 19, 2024, and entitled "Transport robot, goods taking and placing positioning method thereof, warehouse system and storage medium", the content of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] Embodiments of the present application relate to the technical field of intelligent warehouse systems, in particular to a transport robot, a goods taking and placing positioning method thereof, a warehouse system and a storage medium. BACKGROUND

[0003] In the warehouse system in the logistics field, goods are usually stored by using shelves, and the shelves are operated by a transport robot to take and place goods and transport goods, so as to realize the flow of goods in the warehouse system. At present, when the transport robot performs the taking and placing operation on the shelf, it needs to move according to a fixed distance value based on the starting position of the transport robot and the position of the target storage location on the shelf.

[0004] However, the existing technology has high installation accuracy requirements for the shelf, and the current installation accuracy of the shelf cannot completely guarantee that the transport robot accurately moves to the specified location to realize the docking with the target storage location, which results in inaccurate positioning and causes the transport robot to be misaligned with the target storage location. SUMMARY

[0005] In view of the above problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a transport robot, a goods taking and placing positioning method thereof, a warehouse system, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product, to solve the problem of inaccurate positioning of the transport robot in the prior art.

[0006] According to a first aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a transport robot is provided, comprising:

[0007] a structural member configured to be installed on a side of a first shelf and capable of moving in a first direction relative to the first shelf along a guide rail on the first shelf, wherein the first direction is parallel to a length direction of the first shelf, and a second storage location is provided on the first shelf;

[0008] a transport device installed on the structural member and capable of moving in a second direction relative to the structural member, the second direction being parallel to a height direction of the first shelf; and

[0009] An identification device is installed on the carrying device to obtain an identification code of a first storage location on a second shelf, each storage location on the second shelf is provided with the identification code, and the second shelf and the first shelf are oppositely arranged on both sides of the aisle.

[0010] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount.

[0011] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount.

[0012] The carrying robot is configured to:

[0013] determine the first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code; and control the structure to move along the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount until the first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction.

[0014] determine the first height deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code; and control the carrying device to move along the second direction according to the first height deviation amount.

[0015] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the second storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount, and the carrying robot is configured to:

[0016] determine the first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code; and control the structure to move along the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount and a second lateral deviation amount until the lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the target storage location is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, wherein the second lateral deviation amount is used to represent a deviation between the first shelf and the second shelf in the first direction, and the value of the second lateral deviation amount is the deviation amount between the target storage location and the identification code in the first direction.

[0017] In some embodiments, the carrying robot further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively arranged at a first end and a second end of the carrying device in the picking and placing direction, and the detection surfaces of the first sensor and the second sensor respectively face the first shelf and the second shelf.

[0018] The first sensor is configured to identify a first upright column of the first shelf to obtain a first identification signal when the structural member moves along the first direction, and the second sensor is configured to identify a second upright column of the second shelf to obtain a second identification signal when the structural member moves along the first direction, so that the second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0019] In some embodiments, the handling robot is further configured to:

[0020] determine a first time at which the first identification signal is obtained and a second time at which the second identification signal is obtained, determine a difference between the second time and the first time to obtain a sensing time difference, and determine the second lateral deviation amount according to the sensing time difference and a moving speed of the handling robot in the first direction.

[0021] In some embodiments, the handling robot is further configured to:

[0022] start recording a moving distance of the handling robot in the first direction in response to obtaining an identification signal for the first time, and terminate recording the moving distance of the handling robot in response to obtaining an identification signal for the second time, wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0023] In some embodiments, the handling robot is further configured to:

[0024] control the structural member to move along the first direction, determine a third lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining an identification signal for the first time, determine a fourth lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining an identification signal for the second time, and determine the second lateral deviation amount according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount, wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0025] In some embodiments, the first shelf includes a plurality of the first upright columns, and the second shelf includes a plurality of the second upright columns, and a plurality of storage locations are arranged between every two of the first upright columns, and the second lateral deviation amount obtained by the group of the first upright columns and the second upright columns is applied to the plurality of storage locations.

[0026] In some embodiments, the carrying robot further comprises a first sensor group, the first sensor group comprising two first sensors, the two first sensors being arranged at a first end of the carrying device in the first direction;

[0027] The detection surfaces of the two first sensors face the first shelf or the second shelf and are configured to detect the offset of the goods on the second storage location or the first storage location.

[0028] The carrying robot is configured to control the movement of the structural member in the first direction according to the detection data of the offset detection, so as to adjust the position of the carrying device relative to the goods.

[0029] In some embodiments, the carrying robot is configured to determine the triggering state of the two first sensors according to the identification signals of the two first sensors, and to control the movement of the structural member in the first direction within a preset distance to a position where the two first sensors are in an untriggered state according to the triggering state of the two first sensors, wherein the triggering state comprises a triggered state or an untriggered state.

[0030] In some embodiments, the carrying device comprises a device body, the device body comprising a supporting table, a first guide member and a second guide member, the supporting table being used for supporting the goods, and the first guide member and the second guide member being distributed on both sides of the supporting table.

[0031] The two first sensors are arranged at a first end of the first guide member and a first end of the second guide member, respectively.

[0032] In some embodiments, the carrying device further comprises a second sensor group, the second sensor group comprising two second sensors, the second sensor group being arranged symmetrically with the first sensor group in the direction of taking and placing goods of the carrying device, and the two second sensors being arranged at a second end of the carrying device in the first direction.

[0033] According to a second aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a taking and placing positioning method of a carrying robot is provided, characterized in that the method is applied to a carrying robot, the carrying robot comprising a structural member, a carrying device, and an identification device, the structural member being installed at the side of a first shelf and being capable of moving relative to the first shelf in a first direction along a guide rail on the first shelf, a second storage location being provided on the first shelf, and the first direction being parallel to the length direction of the first shelf; the carrying device being installed on the structural member and being capable of moving relative to the structural member in a second direction, the second direction being parallel to the height direction of the first shelf; and the identification device being installed on the carrying device; the method comprising:

[0034] receiving a pick-and-place task instruction, the pick-and-place task instruction comprising a target storage location corresponding to the pick-and-place task;

[0035] controlling the carrying device to move to the target storage location;

[0036] obtaining, by the recognition device, an identification code of a first storage location on a second rack, the second rack and the first rack being oppositely arranged on two sides of a lane;

[0037] adjusting and positioning the structure and / or the carrying device based at least in part on a first deviation between the recognition device and the identification code to perform the pick-and-place task, wherein the target storage location comprises the first storage location or a second storage location, the second storage location being symmetrically arranged with respect to the first storage location with respect to the lane.

[0038] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation comprises a first lateral deviation and a first height deviation;

[0039] adjusting and positioning the structure and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation between the recognition device and the identification code comprises:

[0040] determining the first lateral deviation between the recognition device and the identification code;

[0041] controlling the structure to move along the first direction according to the first lateral deviation until the first lateral deviation between the recognition device and the identification code is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction;

[0042] determining the first height deviation between the recognition device and the identification code;

[0043] controlling the carrying device to move along the second direction according to the first height deviation.

[0044] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the second storage location, the first deviation comprises a first lateral deviation;

[0045] adjusting and positioning the structure and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation between the recognition device and the identification code comprises:

[0046] determining the first lateral deviation between the recognition device and the identification code;

[0047] controlling the structural member to move along the first direction until the lateral deviation between the identification device and the target storage location is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, wherein the second lateral deviation is used to represent a deviation between the first rack and the second rack in the first direction, and a value of the second lateral deviation is a deviation between the target storage location and the identification code in the first direction.

[0048] In some embodiments, the transfer robot further comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively arranged at a first end and a second end of the transfer device in a direction of taking and placing goods, and detection surfaces of the first sensor and the second sensor respectively face the first rack and the second rack.

[0049] The method further comprises:

[0050] controlling the structural member to move along the first direction;

[0051] obtaining a first identification signal obtained by the first sensor identifying a first column of the first rack, and a second identification signal obtained by the second sensor identifying a second column of the second rack;

[0052] determining the second lateral deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0053] In some embodiments, the determining the second lateral deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal comprises:

[0054] determining a first time at which the first identification signal is obtained and a second time at which the second identification signal is obtained;

[0055] determining a difference between the second time and the first time to obtain a sensing time difference;

[0056] determining the second lateral deviation according to the sensing time difference and a moving speed of the transfer robot in the first direction.

[0057] In some embodiments, the determining the second lateral deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal comprises:

[0058] in response to obtaining the identification signal for the first time, starting to record a moving distance of the transfer robot in the first direction;

[0059] In response to the second time obtaining the identification signal, the recording of the moving distance of the carrying robot is terminated, and the recorded moving distance is determined as the second lateral deviation amount; wherein the first time obtaining the identification signal is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the second time obtaining the identification signal is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0060] In some embodiments, the determining the shelf deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal comprises:

[0061] controlling the structure to move along the first direction;

[0062] In response to the first time obtaining the identification signal, a third lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is determined;

[0063] In response to the second time obtaining the identification signal, a fourth lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is determined;

[0064] The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount;

[0065] In response to the first time obtaining the identification signal is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the second time obtaining the identification signal is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0066] In some embodiments, the first shelf comprises a plurality of the first uprights, and the second shelf comprises a plurality of the second uprights, a plurality of storage locations are arranged between every two of the first uprights, and the second lateral deviation amount obtained by the group of the first uprights and the second uprights is applied to the plurality of storage locations.

[0067] In some embodiments, the carrying robot further comprises a first sensor group, the first sensor group comprises two first sensors, and the two first sensors are arranged at a first end of the carrying device along the first direction; the detection surfaces of the two first sensors face the first shelf or the second shelf;

[0068] After the position of the structure and / or the carrying device is adjusted based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, the method further comprises:

[0069] The third identification signal and the fourth identification signal of the two first sensors are obtained respectively;

[0070] According to the third identification signal and the fourth identification signal, it is determined whether the two first sensors are triggered;

[0071] adjust the carrying device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered.

[0072] In some embodiments, the two first sensors include a first first sensor and a second first sensor; and the adjusting the carrying device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered includes:

[0073] if the first first sensor is triggered and the second first sensor is not triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction within a first preset distance towards the first first sensor from the direction of the second first sensor until the two first sensors are not triggered;

[0074] if the first first sensor is not triggered and the second first sensor is triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction within a second preset distance towards the second first sensor from the direction of the first first sensor until the two first sensors are not triggered.

[0075] In some embodiments, before the adjusting the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation amount of the recognition device from the recognition code, the method further includes:

[0076] determining a center point coordinate of the recognition code;

[0077] obtaining a center point coordinate of the recognition device;

[0078] calculating a deviation amount between the center point coordinate of the recognition code and the center point coordinate of the recognition device to obtain the first deviation amount.

[0079] According to a third aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a carrying robot is provided, including at least one processor and a memory.

[0080] The memory stores computer execution instructions.

[0081] The at least one processor executes the computer execution instructions stored in the memory, so that the at least one processor executes the positioning method of the carrying robot as described in any one of the above embodiments.

[0082] According to a fourth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a warehouse system is provided, including a first shelf, a second shelf and a carrying robot.

[0083] The second shelf and the first shelf are oppositely arranged on both sides of the aisle.

[0084] The first shelf comprises a second storage location, and the first shelf is provided with a guide rail in a first direction, which is parallel to the length direction of the first shelf.

[0085] Each storage location of the second shelf is provided with an identification code, and the second shelf comprises a first storage location, and the second storage location is symmetrically arranged with the first storage location relative to the aisle.

[0086] The carrying robot comprises a structural member, a carrying device and an identification device. The structural member is installed on the side of the first shelf and can move relative to the first shelf in the first direction along the guide rail of the first shelf. The carrying device is installed on the structural member and can move relative to the structural member in a second direction, which is parallel to the height direction of the first shelf. The identification device is installed on the carrying device and is used to obtain the identification code of the first storage location. When a target storage location is executed for a picking or placing task, the carrying robot is configured to adjust the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation amount of the identification device and the identification code of the first storage location, and the target storage location comprises the first storage location or the second storage location.

[0087] According to a fifth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer readable storage medium is provided, and the storage medium stores executable instructions. When the executable instructions are executed on an electronic device, the electronic device executes the picking and placing positioning method of the carrying robot according to any one of the above embodiments.

[0088] According to a sixth aspect of the embodiments of the present application, a computer program product is provided, and the computer program product comprises a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the picking and placing positioning method of the carrying robot according to any one of the above embodiments is implemented.

[0089] The embodiments of the present application can achieve accurate positioning of the carrying robot by installing the carrying robot on one of the two shelves arranged on the two sides of the aisle, installing the identification code on the other shelf, and installing the identification device on the carrying device of the carrying robot. The identification device can obtain the first deviation amount of the carrying device and the identification code by identifying the identification code of a certain storage location on the opposite shelf, so that the position of the carrying device can be adjusted according to the first deviation amount to complete the picking or placing operation on the storage location provided with the identification code or the opposite storage location. Without extremely high installation accuracy of the shelf, the carrying robot can also be accurately positioned. Moreover, the positioning of the picking and placing of the storage locations of the double-sided shelves is realized based on the single-side identification code, which has a simple structure and reduces the cost.

[0090] The above description is only a summary of the technical solutions of the present application. In order to enable one skilled in the art to better understand the technical means of the present application, the present application can be implemented according to the content of the description, and in order to enable the above and other purposes, characteristics and advantages of the present application to be more obvious and easy to understand, the following specific embodiments of the present application are described. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0091] Various other advantages and benefits will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments. The accompanying drawings are included to provide a description of the preferred embodiments, and are not meant to limit the present application. Moreover, the same reference numerals are used throughout the various drawings to designate identical parts. In the drawings:

[0092] FIG. 1 is a structural schematic diagram of a warehouse system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0093] FIG. 2 is a side view of the warehouse system provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0094] FIG. 3 is a structural schematic diagram of a first shelf and a carrying robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0095] FIG. 4 is a structural schematic diagram of the carrying robot provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0096] FIG. 5A is a structural schematic diagram of a carrying device and an identification device provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0097] FIG. 5B is a structural schematic diagram of the carrying device and the identification device provided by an embodiment of the present application from another perspective;

[0098] FIG. 5C is an enlarged view of A in FIG. 5B;

[0099] FIG. 6 is a structural schematic diagram of the first shelf provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0100] FIG. 7 is a partial structural schematic diagram of a second shelf provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0101] FIG. 8 is a positional relationship schematic diagram of a carrying device, an identification device and an identification code provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0102] FIG. 9 is a positional relationship schematic diagram of the carrying device, the identification device and the identification code provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0103] FIG. 10 is a positional relationship schematic diagram of the carrying device, the identification device and the identification code provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0104] FIG. 11 is a positional relationship schematic diagram of the carrying device, the identification device and the identification code provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0105] FIG. 12 is a deviation schematic diagram of the identification device and the identification code provided by an embodiment of the present application;

[0106] FIG. 13 is a schematic view of the deviation of the identification device and the identification code according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0107] FIG. 14 is a schematic view of the deviation of the first shelf and the second shelf, the deviation of the identification device and the identification code according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0108] FIG. 15 is a top view of the carrying device and the identification device according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0109] FIG. 16 is a schematic view of the measurement of the second transverse deviation according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0110] FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the positional relationship between the carrying device and the goods according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0111] FIG. 18 is a schematic view of the positional relationship between another carrying device and the goods according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0112] FIG. 19 is a schematic view of the positional relationship between yet another carrying device and the goods according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0113] FIG. 20 is a schematic view of the positional relationship between still another carrying device and the goods according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0114] FIG. 21 is a flowchart of a method for positioning goods by a carrying robot according to an embodiment of the present application;

[0115] FIG. 22 is a block diagram of a carrying robot according to an embodiment of the present application.

[0116] The reference signs in the detailed description are as follows: 1, warehouse system; 100, carrying robot; 10, structural member; 11, traveling wheel; 20, carrying device; 21, supporting table; 22, first guide member; 23, second guide member; 30, identification device; 41, first sensor; 411, first first sensor; 412, second first sensor; 42, second sensor; 421, first second sensor; 422, second second sensor; 50, mounting rack; 51, first mounting portion; 52, second mounting portion; 200, aisle; 300, shelf; 301, first shelf; 3011, first upright column; 302, second shelf; 3021, second upright column; 303, storage layer; 3031, current storage layer; 3032, upper storage layer; 304, storage location; 3041, first storage location; 3042, second storage location; 305, guide rail; 400, identification code; 2202, processor; 2204, memory; 2206, computer program. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0117] The embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. The following examples are only used to more clearly illustrate the technical scheme of the present application, thus only serve as examples, and cannot be used to limit the protection scope of the present application.

[0118] Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this application belongs; the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the present application; the terms "comprising," "comprises" and "including" as used herein are synonymous with and meant to have the same meaning as the term "including"; the term "coupled" as used herein means the joining of two members together with one or more intervening members.

[0119] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the technical terms "first", "second", etc. 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. In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the meaning of "a plurality of" is two or more, unless otherwise explicitly and specifically limited.

[0120] Reference herein to "an embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the application. The appearance of the phrase in various places in the specification does not necessarily all refer to the same embodiment, nor is it necessarily independent or alternative embodiments to each other. It is explicitly and implicitly understood by those skilled in the art that the embodiments described herein can be combined with other embodiments.

[0121] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "and / or" is only a description of the association relationship of the associated objects, which means any combination of the listed objects. For example, "A and / or B" can mean that A exists, A and B exist at the same time, or B exists. In addition, the character " / " in this paper generally represents that the front and rear associated objects are a "or" relationship.

[0122] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the term "a plurality of" refers to two or more (including two), and similarly, "a plurality of groups" refers to two or more groups (including two groups), and "a plurality of pieces" refers to two or more pieces (including two pieces).

[0123] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, the orientations or positional relationships indicated by the technical terms "center", "longitudinal", "transverse", "length", "width", "thickness", "upper", "lower", "front", "rear", "left", "right", "vertical", "transverse", "top", "bottom", "inner", "outer", "clockwise", "counterclockwise", "axial", "radial", "circumferential" and the like are based on the orientations or positional relationships shown in the drawings, and are only for the convenience of describing the embodiments of the present application and simplifying the description, and therefore cannot be understood as indicating or implying that the devices or elements referred to must have a particular orientation, be constructed and operated in a particular orientation, and therefore cannot be understood as limiting the embodiments of the present application.

[0124] In the description of the embodiments of the present application, unless otherwise explicitly specified and limited, the technical terms "mounting", "connection", "connection", "fixing" and the like should be understood in a broad sense, for example, can be fixed connection, can also be detachable connection, or integral; can be mechanical connection, can also be electrical connection; can be directly connected, can also be indirectly connected through an intermediate medium, can be the internal communication of two elements or the interaction relationship between two elements. For those skilled 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.

[0125] In the warehouse system, a plurality of storage locations are provided on the shelves for placing goods. The handling robot can be installed on the shelf on one side of the aisle, and the handling robot can move along the track on the shelf to realize the picking and placing operation of the goods on the shelves on both sides of the aisle.

[0126] At present, when the handling robot performs the picking and placing operation on the goods on the shelf, it is necessary to first determine the target storage location of this picking and placing operation, and then make the handling robot move and position according to the fixed distance value according to the starting position of the handling robot and the target storage location. The handling robot moves through the track, and the picking and placing of the goods are realized through the handling device.

[0127] However, the existing technology has high installation precision requirements for the shelf, and the shelf needs to have very high installation precision, so that the handling robot can reach the specified position of the shelf according to the pre-planned fixed distance value. If the installation precision of the shelf is not high, there will be a positional deviation between the handling robot and the shelf, which cannot completely guarantee that the handling robot accurately moves to the specified location and accurately realizes the docking with the target storage location, resulting in the possibility of misalignment between the handling robot and the target storage location.

[0128] Moreover, the handling robot can perform picking and placing operation on the goods on the shelves on both sides of the aisle, so it is necessary to realize positioning for the storage locations on both sides of the shelves. If positioning devices for performing picking and placing operation on the goods on the storage locations on both sides of the shelves are respectively arranged on the handling robot, the structure is complex and the cost is high.

[0129] To solve the above technical problems, the embodiments of the present application provide a carrying robot, a taking and placing method of the carrying robot, a warehouse system, a computer readable storage medium and a computer program product. In two rows of shelves oppositely arranged on both sides of a lane, a carrying robot is installed on one of the rows of shelves, and an identification code is arranged on the other row of shelves. An identification device is installed on a carrying device of the carrying robot. The identification device can obtain a first deviation amount of the carrying device of the carrying robot from the identification code of a certain storage location on the opposite shelf by identifying the identification code, so that the position of the carrying device can be adjusted according to the first deviation amount to complete the taking and placing operation on the storage location or the opposite storage location where the identification code is arranged. Without high installation accuracy of the shelves, accurate positioning of the carrying robot can also be achieved. Moreover, the positioning during taking and placing of the storage locations of the double-sided shelves is realized based on the single-sided identification code, which is simple in structure and reduces the cost.

[0130] Some embodiments of the present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The embodiments described below and the features in the embodiments can be combined with each other without conflict.

[0131] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the embodiments of the present application provide a warehouse system 1. The warehouse system 1 includes a shelf 300. For ease of description, three coordinate axes are established. The three directions are a first direction X, a second direction Z and a third direction Y. The first direction X, the second direction Z and the third direction Y are perpendicular to each other. Specifically, the second direction Z is perpendicular to the first direction X and the third direction Y, and the first direction X is perpendicular to the third direction Y and the second direction Z. Among them, the first direction X is parallel to the length direction of the shelf 300, the second direction Z is parallel to the height direction of the shelf 300, and the third direction Y is parallel to the depth direction of the shelf 300.

[0132] The shelf 300 is used to store goods. The shelf 300 has a storage layer 303 for storing goods. The storage layer 303 has a plurality of storage locations 304 (only part of the storage locations 304 are shown in the figure) in the first direction X, so that the goods can be placed on the corresponding storage locations 304 to realize the storage of the goods on the storage layer 303. When a plurality of goods are located on the storage layer 303, there is a spacing between adjacent goods to facilitate the taking of the goods.

[0133] It should be noted that the goods can be carriers for containing goods or the goods themselves. The goods can be industrial parts, electronic accessories or products, medicines, clothing accessories, food, books, etc. The carrier can be a box or other structure capable of containing goods. In the present application, the carrier and the goods are not further limited.

[0134] The number of the storage layers 303 is N. N can be 1. Alternatively, N can also be greater than or equal to 2, and the N storage layers 303 are stacked along the second direction Z to increase the number of goods that can be stored by the shelf 300. When N is greater than or equal to 2, N can be 2, 3, 4, etc. In the present application, the number of the storage layers 303 is not further limited.

[0135] The number of the shelves 300 can be multiple to increase the storage capacity of the warehouse system 1. Some of the multiple shelves 300 can be connected to each other along the first direction X. Some of the multiple shelves 300 can also be spaced apart along the third direction Y. Two shelves 300 spaced apart along the third direction Y form a lane 200. For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302 are oppositely arranged on two sides of the lane 200, the first shelf 301 is provided with multiple second storage locations 3042, and the second shelf 302 is provided with multiple first storage locations 3041.

[0136] The handling robot has developed a series of technologies in handling the picking and placing operations of the goods on the shelves. These technologies not only improve the work efficiency and reduce the labor cost, but also significantly improve the safety and accuracy of the goods handling. As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the handling robot 100 can be located in the lane 200 and installed on the first shelf 301 on one side of the lane 200, and can perform the picking and placing operations of the goods on the shelves 300 (the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302) on two sides of the lane 200. The picking and placing operations can include picking operation and placing operation. In the picking operation, the handling robot 100 can handle the goods on the storage location 304 to the inside of the handling robot 100. In the placing operation, the handling robot 100 can handle the goods in the inside of the handling robot 100 to the storage location 304.

[0137] The handling robot 100 usually has a handling device 20 to perform the picking and placing operations of the goods on the shelves 300 by the handling device 20, so as to realize the handling function of the handling robot 100. Specifically, the handling device 20 can move relative to the shelves 300 along the first direction X and the second direction Z to perform the picking and placing operations of the goods on any storage location 304 of the shelves 300.

[0138] Currently, when the carrying robot 100 performs the picking and placing operation on the goods on the goods shelf 300, the carrying robot 100 moves according to a fixed distance value according to the starting position of the carrying robot 100 and the position of the goods. However, the prior art has high installation accuracy requirements for the goods shelf 300, and the goods shelf 300 needs to have very high installation accuracy, so that the carrying robot 100 can reach the specified position of the goods shelf 300 according to the pre-planned fixed distance value. If the installation accuracy of the goods shelf 300 is not high, there is a positional deviation between the carrying robot 100 and the goods shelf 300, which cannot completely guarantee that the carrying robot 100 can accurately move to the specified position to realize the docking with the goods, resulting in that the carrying robot 100 may be misaligned with the goods.

[0139] Therefore, referring to FIG. 4, the embodiment of the present application provides a carrying robot 100, and the warehouse system 1 described above comprises the carrying robot 100. The carrying robot 100 can perform picking and placing operation on the goods in any storage location 304 of the goods shelf 300 (including the first goods shelf 301 and the second goods shelf 302). The carrying robot 100 comprises a structural member 10, a carrying device 20 and an identification device 30.

[0140] The structure of the carrying robot 100 will be further described below in combination with the drawings and embodiments.

[0141] Referring to FIG. 4, please refer to FIGS. 1-3, the structural member 10 is configured to be installed on the side of the first goods shelf 301 and can move relative to the first goods shelf 301 along the guide rail 305 on the first goods shelf 301 in the first direction X, so that the carrying robot 100 can move in the first direction X by moving the structural member 10 along the guide rail 305 on the first goods shelf 301 in the first direction X while the structural member 10 is installed on the side of the first goods shelf 301. The structural member 10 can be a fixed member of the carrying robot 100, and the fixed member does not move in the second direction Z. For example, the structural member 10 can be a column or the like.

[0142] Referring to FIG. 6, the first rack 301 has two oppositely arranged rails 305 in the second direction Z. The number of rails 305 can also be one or more. The length direction of the rails 305 is parallel to the first direction X. The two rails 305 are respectively mounted on the side of any two storage layers 303. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, specifically, the rails 305 can be mounted on the side of the storage layer 303 facing the transfer robot 100. The transfer robot 100 further comprises a walking wheel 11. The walking wheel 11 is connected to the structure 10 at a position corresponding to the rail 305 and is configured to move along the rail 305. The transfer robot 100 further comprises a motor connected to the walking wheel 11. The motor can drive the walking wheel 11 to move along the rail 305, thereby driving the structure 10 to move simultaneously, realizing the movement of the structure 10 in the first direction X relative to the first rack 301. The walking wheel 11 is connected to the structure 10 and can rotate relative to the structure 10 so that the walking wheel 11 moves along the rail 305. For details, please refer to the structure of the existing transfer robot 100, which will not be repeated here. The driving mode of the motor to the walking wheel 11 is known to those skilled in the art, which will not be repeated here.

[0143] The transfer device 20 is mounted on the structure 10 and can move relative to the structure 10 in the second direction Z, so that the transfer device 20 can move to different positions of the structure 10 in the second direction Z. Moreover, since the structure 10 is mounted on the first rack 301 and the transfer device 20 is mounted on the structure 10, when the structure 10 moves relative to the first rack 301 in the first direction X, the transfer device 20 can be driven to move simultaneously, so that through the movement of the transfer device 20 along the structure 10 in the second direction Z and the movement of the structure 10 relative to the first rack 301 in the first direction X, the transfer device 20 can move to any storage location 304 of the first rack 301 and the second rack 302 on the opposite side to perform the picking and placing operation. Wherein, the corresponding storage location 304 of the transfer device 20 performing the picking and placing operation is called the target storage location. The height direction of the structure 10 of the transfer robot 100 is perpendicular to the first direction X and parallel to the second direction Z.

[0144] The height of the structure 10 generally needs to meet the requirement that the transfer device 20 can move to the height of each storage layer 303 of the first rack 301 in the second direction Z. For example, the bottom of the structure 10 is not higher than the height of the bottommost storage layer of the first rack 301, and the top of the structure 10 is not lower than the height of the topmost storage layer 303 of the first rack 301.

[0145] The carrying device 20 can be installed on the structural member 10 by sliding or the like, so as to move along the second direction Z relative to the structural member 10 under the driving of the carrying robot 100. The driving mode of the carrying robot 100 to the carrying device 20 is also known to those skilled in the art, which will not be described here.

[0146] The number of the structural members 10 can be one or two. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, when the structural members 10 are two, the two structural members 10 can be arranged at intervals along the first direction X, and the carrying device 20 can be installed on the two structural members 10 and located between the two structural members 10. Compared with one structural member 10, when the structural members 10 are two, not only the stability of the installation of the carrying device 20 on the structural members 10 can be enhanced, but also the stability of the carrying device 20 when moving with the structural members 10 along the first direction X can be enhanced. Hereinafter, the structure of the carrying robot 100 will be further described by taking two structural members 10 as an example.

[0147] Referring to FIG. 7, the embodiment of the present application sets the identification code 400 on each first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302, that is, sets the identification code 400 on each first storage location 3041 of the shelf (second shelf 302) opposite to the first shelf 301 where the carrying robot 100 is arranged.

[0148] Referring to FIGS. 4, 5A and 5B, the identification device 30 is installed on the carrying device 20, and is used to acquire the identification code 400 of the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302. It should be noted that the identification device 30 can be fixed on a mounting bracket 50, and the mounting bracket 50 is installed and fixed on the carrying device 20, so as to realize the installation of the identification device 30 on the carrying device 20 through the mounting bracket 50.

[0149] The shape of the mounting bracket 50 is not limited, and can be a flat plate, an L-shaped plate, a U-shaped plate or any other structure that can realize the installation of the identification device 30 on the carrying device 20. As shown in FIGS. 5B and 5C, in the embodiment shown in the figures, the mounting bracket 50 is L-shaped, and includes a first mounting portion 51 and a second mounting portion 52. The first mounting portion 51 and the second mounting portion 52 are two flat plates perpendicular to each other and connected to each other, and are integrally formed. Of course, the first mounting portion 51 and the second mounting portion 52 can also be fixedly connected through various connecting members known in the art. The identification device 30 is fixed to the first mounting portion 51 through a fixing member, and the second mounting portion 52 is fixed to the bottom of the carrying device 20 through a fixing member. The second mounting portion 52 can also be fixed to the top or side of the carrying device 20. The fixing member can be a threaded fastener. In addition, the fixing mode of the identification device 30 and the second mounting portion 52 can also be welding, bonding or any other fixing mode that can realize the fixation.

[0150] When performing the picking or placing task for the target storage location, the handling robot 100 is configured to adjust the position of the structural member 10 and / or the handling device 20 based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device 30 and the identification code 400.

[0151] The target storage location can be a first storage location 3041 on the second rack 302 or a second storage location 3042 on the first rack 301, which is symmetrically arranged with respect to the first storage location 3041 relative to the aisle 200.

[0152] Specifically, when the handling device 20 performs the picking or placing operation, first, the position of the structural member 10 and / or the handling device 20 is adjusted based on the first deviation amount to align the target storage location, and then, in some examples, the height of the handling device 20 is lowered when performing the picking operation, so that the handling device 20 can successfully pick the goods without interference with the goods or the storage location 304; in other examples, the height of the handling device 20 is raised when performing the placing operation, so that the handling device 20 can successfully place the goods in the storage location 304 without interference with the goods or the storage location 304.

[0153] The identification device 30 can be a camera, which can include but is not limited to a camera, etc. The identification code 400 can be a two-dimensional code, a bar code, a square, a rectangle, a circle, a rhombus, etc. about the origin symmetric pattern, such pattern is symmetric in x and y axis, the image information of the identification code 400 can be obtained by the identification device 30, so that the handling robot 100 can determine the first deviation amount between the identification device 30 and the identification code 400, i.e. the first deviation amount between the center of the identification component of the identification device 30 and the center of the identification code 400, the identification component refers to the component of the identification device 30 for directly collecting the image information of the identification code 400, for example, if the identification device 30 is a camera, the identification component is the lens of the camera, and the center of the identification component is the center of the lens.

[0154] The position of the identification code 400 of each first storage location 3041 is configured such that when the handling device 20 is aligned with the first storage location 3041, the center of the identification component of the identification device 30 is aligned or approximately aligned with the center of the identification code 400. For example, if the identification device 30 is a camera, when the handling device 20 is aligned with the first storage location 3041, the center of the lens of the camera is aligned with the center of the identification code 400. In this way, the position of the handling device 20 can be adjusted based on the first deviation amount between the identification device 30 and the identification code 400, and when the center of the identification component of the identification device 30 is aligned or approximately aligned with the center of the identification code 400, i.e. the first deviation amount between them is within an acceptable error range, it means that the handling device 20 is aligned with the target storage location.

[0155] The identification code 400 can be arranged on the side of the storage layer 303 facing the aisle 200. As for the position of the identification code 400 in the second direction Z, the identification code 400 of each first storage site 3041 can be arranged on the side of the storage layer of the current layer or on the side of the storage layer of the upper layer above the storage layer of the current layer in the second direction Z, as long as the center of the identification component of the identification device 30 is aligned or approximately aligned with the center of the identification code 400 when the carrier device 20 is aligned with the first storage site 3041. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the identification device 30 is arranged at the bottom of the carrier device 20, and the identification code 400 of each storage site is arranged on the side of the storage layer 3031 of the current layer; as shown in FIG. 9, the identification device 30 is arranged at the top of the carrier device 20, and the identification code 400 of each storage site is arranged on the side of the storage layer 3032 of the upper layer above the storage layer 3031 of the current layer in the second direction Z.

[0156] As for the position of the identification code 400 in the first direction X, as long as the center of the identification component of the identification device 30 is aligned or approximately aligned with the center of the identification code 400 arranged by the first storage site 3041 when the carrier device 20 is aligned with the first storage site 3041. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the identification device 30 is arranged on the left side of the carrier device 20, and the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041 is also arranged on the left side of the storage site; as shown in FIG. 11, the identification device 30 is arranged at the center of the carrier device 20, and the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041 is also arranged at the center of the storage site.

[0157] When the target storage site is the first storage site 3041 of the second rack 302, the structural member 10 of the carrier robot 100 can be first controlled to move in the first direction X to the column of storage sites opposite the first storage site 3041 on the first rack 301, and then the carrier device 20 can be controlled to move in the second direction Z to the height of the first storage site 3041, so that the carrier device 20 is pre-aligned with the target storage site. At this time, the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041 is within the identification range of the identification device 30, and the identification device 30 can obtain the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041.

[0158] When the target storage site is the second storage site 3042 of the first rack 301, the structural member 10 of the carrier robot 100 can be first controlled to move in the first direction X to the column of storage sites where the second storage site 3042 is located, and then the carrier device 20 can be controlled to move in the second direction Z to the height of the second storage site 3042, so that the carrier device 20 is pre-aligned with the target storage site. At this time, the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041 symmetrically arranged with the second storage site 3042 with respect to the aisle 200 is within the identification range of the identification device 30, and the identification device 30 can obtain the identification code 400 of the first storage site 3041.

[0159] The pre-alignment of the carrying device 20 and the target storage location can be achieved by moving the carrying robot 100 by a fixed distance value, or other prior art methods, which are well known to those skilled in the art and will not be described here.

[0160] The first deviation between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400 can be determined by determining the center point coordinate of the recognition code 400, obtaining the center point coordinate of the recognition device 30, and calculating the offset between the center point coordinate of the recognition code 400 and the center point coordinate of the recognition device 30 to obtain the first deviation.

[0161] For example, the recognition device 30 is a camera, and the recognition code 400 is a two-dimensional code. The first deviation between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400 is the offset between the camera center and the two-dimensional code center. First, the camera captures an image containing the two-dimensional code. Then, the captured two-dimensional code image is processed using a two-dimensional code recognition library (such as ZXing, ZBar, OpenCV, etc.) to identify the two-dimensional code and its position, and the bounding box of the two-dimensional code can be obtained. According to the position of the bounding box, the center point coordinate of the two-dimensional code is calculated. If the two-dimensional code is standard, a small finder pattern is usually placed at the center, which can be used as a reference point. The camera center is usually the center point of the image. In the embodiment of the application, the camera is fixedly installed, so the point can be determined at the time of installation. Of course, it can also be determined through the captured image. The center point coordinate of the two-dimensional code and the center point coordinate of the camera are compared to calculate the offset between them in the image coordinate system, thereby obtaining the offset between the camera center and the two-dimensional code center.

[0162] As mentioned earlier, the movement of the structural member 10 along the first direction X relative to the shelf 300 can drive the carrying device 20 to move simultaneously. The carrying device 20 can move along the second direction Z relative to the structural member 10. Therefore, when the position of the carrying device 20 in the first direction X needs to be adjusted, the structural member 10 can be moved along the guide rail 305 of the first shelf 301 in the first direction X to achieve the adjustment. When the position of the carrying device 20 in the second direction Z needs to be adjusted, the carrying device 20 itself can be moved along the structural member 10 in the second direction Z to achieve the adjustment.

[0163] The identification of the identification code 400 on the second shelf 302 by the identification device 30 of the carrying robot 100 can achieve accurate positioning of the carrying robot 100 without requiring the shelf 300 to have extremely high installation accuracy. Although the identification code 400 is only arranged on the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302, since the second storage location 3042 of the first shelf 301 and the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302 correspond one-to-one in position on both sides of the aisle 200, the identification of the identification code 400 can achieve positioning when the target storage location is the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302, and can also achieve positioning when the target storage location is the second storage location 3042 of the first shelf 301.

[0164] The embodiment of the present application is arranged in two rows of shelves on both sides of the aisle 200, the carrying robot 100 is installed on the first shelf 301, the identification code 400 is arranged on the second shelf 302, and the identification device 30 is installed on the carrying device 20 of the carrying robot 100. The identification device 30 can obtain the first deviation amount of the carrying device 20 of the carrying robot 100 from the identification code 400 of the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302 by identifying the identification code 400, so that the position of the carrying device 20 can be adjusted according to the first deviation amount to complete the picking and placing operation on the storage location where the identification code is arranged or on the opposite storage location. Without requiring the shelf 300 to have extremely high installation accuracy, accurate positioning of the carrying robot 100 can be achieved. At the same time, when performing the picking and placing operation on the goods in the target storage location, the probability of mispositioning of the carrying device 20 during the picking and placing process is reduced, and the accuracy and carrying efficiency of the carrying robot 100 are improved. Moreover, positioning during picking and placing of the storage locations of the double-sided shelves is achieved based on the single-sided identification code, and the cost of the identification code is reduced.

[0165] In the first scenario, the carrying robot 100 performs the picking and placing operation on the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302, and the target storage location is the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302. In the second scenario, the carrying robot 100 performs the picking and placing operation on the second storage location 3042 of the first shelf 301, and the target storage location is the second storage location 3042 of the first shelf 301. The following describes the picking and placing positioning of the carrying robot 100 with these two scenarios as examples.

[0166] First scenario:

[0167] The first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount. The carrying robot 100 is configured to:

[0168] determining a first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400; and controlling the structure 10 to move in the first direction X according to the first lateral deviation amount until the first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400 is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, so as to align the handling device 20 with the target storage location in the first direction X (a step);

[0169] determining a first height deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400; and controlling the handling device 20 to move in the second direction Z according to the first height deviation amount (b step).

[0170] As described above, when the target storage location is the first storage location 3041 of the second shelf 302, the structure 10 of the handling robot 100 can be controlled to move in the first direction X to a storage location column opposite the first storage location 3041 on the first shelf 301 first, and then the handling device 20 can be controlled to move in the second direction Z to the height of the first storage location 3041, so that the handling device 20 is pre-aligned with the target storage location, at this time, the recognition code 400 of the first storage location 3041 is located within the recognition range of the recognition device 30, and the recognition device 30 can obtain the recognition code 400 of the first storage location 3041, and then the position of the handling device 20 can be fine-tuned based at least in part on the first lateral deviation amount and the first height deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400. During the fine-tuning of the position of the handling device 20: when the structure 10 is controlled to move in the first direction X, the structure 10 can be moved by the first lateral deviation amount, and then the recognition code 400 is re-acquired and the first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400 is re-determined, if the adjusted first lateral deviation amount is less than or equal to the lateral deviation threshold, it is considered that the error adjustment is completed, the adjustment is ended, otherwise the adjustment step is repeated (the first lateral deviation amount at this time is the re-determined value) until the first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400 is less than or equal to the lateral deviation threshold. The handling device 20 can also be controlled to move in the second direction Z in a similar manner, and the height of the handling device 20 can be adjusted based at least in part on the first height deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400.

[0171] Since the handling robot 100 in the first scenario is to carry out picking and placing operations on the storage locations on the opposite side of the rack, that is, the handling robot 100 and the second rack 302 where the target storage location is located are not necessarily arranged on the same plane (the same ground), there may be a problem of different ground subsidence, and it cannot be guaranteed that there is no height deviation when the handling device 20 is moved to the height of the target storage location in the second direction Z according to the fixed distance value. Therefore, the first deviation amount in the first scenario includes not only the first lateral deviation amount but also the first height deviation amount. The values of the first lateral deviation amount and the first height deviation amount can include positive and negative values to determine the adjustment direction of the handling device 20. For example, when the first lateral deviation amount is negative, it indicates that the recognition device 30 deviates to the first side of the first direction relative to the recognition code 400, and at this time, the handling device 20 needs to be moved to the second side of the first direction; when the first lateral deviation amount is positive, it indicates that the recognition device 30 deviates to the second side of the first direction relative to the recognition code 400, and at this time, the handling device 20 needs to be moved to the first side of the first direction; when the first height deviation amount is positive, it indicates that the recognition device 30 deviates to the first side of the second direction relative to the recognition code 400, and at this time, the handling device 20 needs to be moved to the second side of the second direction; and when the first height deviation amount is negative, it indicates that the recognition device 30 deviates to the second side of the second direction relative to the recognition code 400, and at this time, the handling device 20 needs to be moved to the first side of the second direction.

[0172] As shown in FIG. 12, the first lateral deviation amount is +dx, that is, the recognition device 30 deviates dx to the right relative to the recognition code 400, and then the structural member 10 is moved dx in the negative direction of the x axis (that is, dx to the left) to align the handling device 20 with the target storage location; as shown in FIG. 13, the first lateral deviation amount is -dx, that is, the recognition device 30 deviates dx to the left relative to the recognition code 400, and then the structural member 10 is moved dx in the positive direction of the x axis (that is, dx to the right) to align the handling device 20 with the target storage location; as shown in FIG. 12, the first height deviation amount is +dz, that is, the recognition device 30 deviates dz upward relative to the recognition code 400, and then the handling device 20 is moved dz in the negative direction of the z axis (that is, dz downward) to align the handling device 20 with the target storage location; as shown in FIG. 13, the first height deviation amount is -dz, that is, the recognition device 30 deviates dz downward relative to the recognition code 400, and then the handling device 20 is moved dz in the positive direction of the z axis (that is, dz upward) to align the handling device 20 with the target storage location.

[0173] When it is determined that the first lateral deviation amount is less than or equal to the lateral deviation threshold value and it is determined that the first height deviation amount is less than or equal to the height deviation threshold value, the determination can be made only according to the absolute value of the first lateral deviation amount or the first height deviation amount.

[0174] The execution order of steps a and b is not limited in the embodiments of the present application. Step a can be executed first, and then step b can be executed. Alternatively, step b can be executed first, and then step a can be executed.

[0175] In some embodiments, after the fine adjustment of the horizontal direction and the vertical direction according to the first lateral deviation and the first height deviation, the carrying device 20 is optionally moved a small distance in the vertical direction to facilitate the picking and placing of goods. For example, after the position of the carrying device 20 is fine adjusted according to the first lateral deviation and the first height deviation, the carrying device 20 is aligned with the target storage location. When the carrying device 20 needs to obtain goods from the target storage location, the carrying device 20 is moved downward from the aligned position by a predetermined specific distance (for example, 10 mm), or when the carrying device 20 needs to place goods on the target storage location, the carrying device 20 is moved upward from the aligned position by a predetermined specific distance (for example, 10 mm).

[0176] The second scenario:

[0177] For the case where the racks on both sides of the aisle 200 are installed without difference, and the center lines of the same storage location on both sides of the racks are located on the same straight line, in this case, there is no deviation between the storage locations on both sides, and the carrying robot 100 can be positioned for picking and placing goods in the second scenario in a similar manner to the first scenario. Since the carrying robot 100 in the second scenario performs picking and placing operations on the storage locations on the rack installed on the same side as itself, i.e., the first rack 301 and the target storage location are arranged on the same plane (the same ground), there is no problem of ground subsidence difference, and the height deviation can be avoided when the carrying device 20 is moved to the height of the target storage location in the second direction Z according to the fixed distance value. Therefore, in the second scenario, the first deviation can only include the first lateral deviation, i.e., only the first lateral deviation needs to be determined, and the first height deviation does not need to be determined.

[0178] If there is a difference in the installation of the racks on both sides of the aisle 200, and the racks are inclined differently, resulting in the center lines of the same storage location on both sides of the racks not being on the same straight line, i.e., there is a lateral deviation between the storage locations on both sides. For this case, when adjusting the position of the carrying device 20, the lateral deviation between the first rack 301 and the second rack 302 needs to be compensated on the basis of the first lateral deviation to improve the picking and placing accuracy. The carrying robot 100 is configured to:

[0179] determining a first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400; and controlling the structure 10 to move along the first direction X according to the first lateral deviation amount and a second lateral deviation amount until a lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the target storage location is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold. The second lateral deviation amount is used to represent a deviation between the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302 in the first direction X, and a value of the second lateral deviation amount is a lateral deviation amount between the target storage location and the recognition code 400 in the first direction X.

[0180] The lateral deviation amount between the recognition device 30 and the target storage location refers to a lateral deviation amount between a center of the recognition device and a center of the target storage location in the first direction X. The lateral deviation amount between the target storage location and the recognition code 400 in the first direction X refers to a lateral deviation amount between the center of the target storage location and a center of the recognition code 400 in the first direction X.

[0181] The position of the carrying device 20 is adjusted according to the first lateral deviation amount and the second lateral deviation amount. The first lateral deviation amount is a deviation between the recognition device 30 and the recognition code 400, i.e., a deviation between the carrying device 20 and the first storage location 3041 on the second shelf 302. The second lateral deviation amount is a deviation between the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302. The deviation between the carrying device 20 and the target storage location on the first shelf 301 is determined by combining the first lateral deviation amount and the second lateral deviation amount, and the position of the carrying device 20 is adjusted according to the deviation until the carrying device 20 is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction X.

[0182] For the second scenario, a difference between the first lateral deviation amount and the second lateral deviation amount is calculated, a direction of adjustment is determined according to a positive or negative of the difference, and the carrying device 20 is adjusted by a corresponding value in the direction of adjustment according to a value of the difference. As shown in FIG. 14, the target storage location is a storage location on the first shelf 301 corresponding to the recognition code 400 shown in the figure, the second lateral deviation amount is +dx2 (the first shelf 301 deviates dx2 to the right relative to the second shelf 302), and the first lateral deviation amount is -dx1 (the recognition device 30 deviates dx1 to the left relative to the recognition code 400). (-dx1) - (+dx2) = -(dx1+dx2), which is a negative value, the direction of adjustment is adjustment in the positive direction of the x-axis (i.e., right adjustment), and the adjustment value is (dx1+dx2). The adjustment principles of other cases are the same, which will not be described here.

[0183] The determination of the second lateral deviation amount is described below.

[0184] As shown in FIG. 15 and FIG. 16, the transfer robot 100 further comprises a first sensor 41 and a second sensor 42, which are respectively arranged at the first end and the second end of the transfer device 20 in the direction of picking and placing, and the detection surfaces of the first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 respectively face the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302.

[0185] Referring to FIG. 16, the first sensor 41 is configured to generate a first identification signal by identifying the first column 3011 of the first shelf 301 when the structural member 10 moves in the first direction X, and the second sensor 42 is configured to generate a second identification signal by identifying the second column 3021 of the second shelf 302 when the structural member 10 moves in the first direction X, so that the transfer robot 100 determines the second lateral deviation amount according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal. In this scheme, the columns of the shelves are taken as the reference, and the deviation of the columns of the two shelves is measured to indirectly obtain the deviation of the two shelves.

[0186] The first sensor 41 and the second sensor 42 are Time of flight (ToF) sensors or other sensors capable of generating an identification signal when a target object is sensed, such as photoelectric sensors, infrared sensors, ultrasonic sensors, etc.

[0187] In some embodiments, the transfer robot 100 determines a first time at which the first identification signal is obtained and a second time at which the second identification signal is obtained, determines a difference between the second time and the first time to obtain a sensing time difference, and determines the second lateral deviation amount according to the sensing time difference and the moving speed of the transfer robot 100 in the first direction X.

[0188] For example, the first time is t1, the second time is t2, the sensing time difference is t2-t1, the moving speed of the transfer robot 100 in the first direction X is v, and the second lateral deviation amount is v*(t2-t1).

[0189] In some embodiments, the transfer robot 100 starts recording the moving distance of the transfer robot 100 in the first direction X in response to obtaining an identification signal for the first time, and stops recording the moving distance of the transfer robot 100 in response to obtaining an identification signal for the second time, and determines the recorded moving distance as the second lateral deviation amount, wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0190] The walking distance of the walking wheel 11 can be recorded by installing an encoder on the walking wheel 11 or the rotating shaft of the motor driving the walking wheel 11; or the moving distance of the carrying robot 100 can be measured by an inertial measurement unit, a wheel speed odometer, a laser range finder, etc.

[0191] In some embodiments, the carrying robot 100 controls the structural member 10 to move in the first direction X; determines a third lateral deviation amount of the identification device 30 from the identification code 400 in response to obtaining the identification signal for the first time; determines a fourth lateral deviation amount of the identification device 30 from the identification code 400 in response to obtaining the identification signal for the second time; determines the second lateral deviation amount according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount; wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0192] For example, the third lateral deviation amount is dx3, the fourth lateral deviation amount is dx4, and the second lateral deviation amount is dx4-dx3. Ideally, there is no deviation between the two sides of the shelf, dx3=dx4, and if dx4-dx3=0 is measured, i.e., the second lateral deviation amount is 0, the carrying device 20 does not need to compensate for the second lateral deviation amount when adjusting the carrying device 20 to align with the target storage location in the first direction X; however, in actual situations, the existence of shelf deviation will make dx4-dx3≠0, so the carrying device 20 needs to compensate for the second lateral deviation amount when adjusting the carrying device 20 to align with the target storage location in the first direction X.

[0193] In some embodiments, if at least one side of each storage location 304 on the first shelf 301 and the second shelf 302 is provided with a column, and the columns on the two sides are correspondingly provided, the second lateral deviation amount of each storage location 304 can be determined respectively. If the first shelf 301 includes a plurality of first columns 3011, the second shelf 302 includes a plurality of second columns 3021, a plurality of second storage locations 3042 are arranged between every two first columns 3011, and the second shelf 302 has the same structure as the first shelf 301, a second lateral deviation amount can be determined for the plurality of second storage locations 3042 between the adjacent two first columns 3011 on the first shelf 301, and the second lateral deviation amount obtained by a group of first columns 3011 and second columns 3021 can be applied to the plurality of second storage locations 3042. This scheme takes the shelf column as a reference, and indirectly obtains the overall deviation of each group of shelves (the same side shelf, the middle region between the adjacent two columns constitutes a group of shelves) on the two sides by measuring the column deviation of the two sides of the shelf.

[0194] In theory, when the goods are placed in the center of the storage location 304 during the picking operation, the carrying device 20 is aligned with the target storage location by the above-mentioned adjustment, and the carrying device 20 is also aligned with the goods. In practice, the goods may be placed off-center and not in the center of the storage location 304, which will cause the goods to collide with some parts of the carrying device 20 when the goods are picked to the carrying device 20.

[0195] For example, in some embodiments, referring to FIG. 5A and FIG. 15, the carrying device 20 includes a support table 21, a first guide 22, and a second guide 23. The support table 21 is used to support the goods. The support table 21 can include two synchronous rotating belt drive assemblies to facilitate the movement of the goods in the carrying device 20. It should be noted that the support table 21 can also be a support plate or the like. In this application, the structure of the support table 21 is not further limited. The first guide 22 and the second guide 23 are distributed on both sides of the support table 21 to guide the movement direction of the goods in the carrying device 20.

[0196] Since the first guide 22 and the second guide 23 are distributed on both sides of the support table 21 of the carrying device 20 to guide the goods, if the carrying device 20 is not aligned with the goods, the goods may collide with some parts of the carrying device 20 (such as the first guide 22, the second guide 23, etc.) during the process of being pulled from the goods shelf to the carrying robot 100 when picking the goods.

[0197] As shown in FIG. 15, the carrying robot includes a first sensor group, which includes two first sensors 41 arranged at the first end of the carrying device 20 along the first direction X. The detection surfaces of the two first sensors 41 face the first goods shelf 301 and are configured to detect the offset of the goods on the second storage location 3042. The carrying robot 100 is configured to control the structure 10 to move in the first direction X according to the detection data of the offset detection, so as to adjust the position of the carrying device 20 relative to the goods. In other embodiments, two second sensors 42 are arranged at the second end of the carrying device 20, and the detection surfaces of the two second sensors 42 face the second goods shelf 302 and are configured to detect the offset of the goods on the first storage location 3041.

[0198] By adjusting the position of the carrying device 20 relative to the goods in the above-mentioned manner, the collision between the carrying device 20 and the goods caused by the misalignment of the carrying device 20 and the goods during the picking of the goods is avoided, and the accuracy of the carrying robot 100 in picking and placing goods and the carrying efficiency are further improved.

[0199] The first sensor 41 used to determine the second lateral deviation amount is the same first sensor 41 used to adjust the position of the carrying device 20 relative to the goods, which uses the same sensor to perform different functions, without the need to add new devices, thereby simplifying the structure of the carrying robot 100 and reducing costs. The process of determining the second lateral deviation amount does not require human intervention, and can be automatically measured through software coding, which is more efficient than manual measurement. Through automatic measurement by the carrying robot 100 itself, the error can be controlled within a smaller range (measurement error less than ±3 mm) than manual measurement, and the consistency of single measurement data is higher than manual measurement.

[0200] In some embodiments, the carrying robot 100 is configured to determine the triggering state of the two first sensors 41 according to the identification signals of the two first sensors 41, and to control the structural member 10 to move in the first direction X within a preset distance to a position where both first sensors 41 are in an untriggered state according to the triggering state of the two first sensors 41; wherein the triggering state includes a triggered state or an untriggered state.

[0201] For ease of illustration, the two first sensors 41 are divided into a first first sensor 411 and a second first sensor 412. The first first sensor 411 obtains a third identification signal, and the second first sensor 412 obtains a fourth identification signal, which can be used to determine whether the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412 are triggered. By determining whether the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412 are triggered, the positional relationship between the goods and the carrying device 20 can be accurately determined, and then precise goods picking can be achieved by adjusting the carrying device 20.

[0202] In some embodiments, if the first first sensor 411 is triggered and the second first sensor 412 is not triggered, the structural member 10 is controlled to move in the first direction X within a first preset distance in the direction in which the second first sensor 412 points to the first first sensor 411 until both first sensors 41 are not triggered. If the first first sensor 411 is not triggered and the second first sensor 412 is triggered, the structural member 10 is controlled to move in the first direction X within a second preset distance in the direction in which the first first sensor 411 points to the second first sensor 412 until both first sensors 41 are not triggered.

[0203] It can be understood that the first preset distance and the second preset distance described above can be determined according to actual conditions, and the first preset distance and the second preset distance can be the same or different, which is not specifically limited in the present application.

[0204] Please continue to refer to FIG. 15, in some embodiments, the carrying device 20 further comprises a second sensor group, the second sensor group comprises two second sensors 42 (first second sensor 421 and second second sensor 422 respectively), the second sensor group is symmetrically arranged with the first sensor group along the taking and placing direction of the carrying device 20, and the two second sensors 42 are arranged at the second end of the carrying device 20 along the first direction X. That is, the carrying device 20 is respectively provided with the first sensor group and the second sensor group on the adjacent sides of each shelf, for detecting the offset condition of the carrying device 20 and the goods on the corresponding shelf. The structure and working principle of the two second sensors 42 in the second sensor group are the same as those of the two first sensors 41, and the description of the two first sensors 41 is referred to herein.

[0205] The ToF detection mode of the two first sensors 41 and the two second sensors 42 will be described below in combination with specific examples of FIGS. 17-20. Exemplarily, the box spacing is 30 mm, the detection distance of ToF is set to 150 mm, and the field of view (FOV) is set to 5°. It can be understood that the above data are all illustrative, and the embodiments of the present application do not specifically limit this. The two first sensors 41 are taken as an example for description, and the working principle of the second sensor 42 is similar thereto.

[0206] Exemplarily, FIG. 17 is a schematic view of the positional relationship between a carrying device and goods according to an embodiment of the present application, and the carrying device in FIG. 17 comprises a first first sensor 411 and a second first sensor 412. As shown in FIG. 17, it is a normal positional relationship between the goods and the carrying device, and there is no offset between the carrying device and the goods. Before taking the goods, the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412 are not triggered. In this case, when the carrying device takes the goods, the goods will not collide with the carrying device when the goods are moved to the carrying device due to the offset of the goods.

[0207] Exemplarily, FIG. 18 is another schematic view of the positional relationship between a carrying device and goods according to an embodiment of the present application, and the carrying device in FIG. 18 comprises a first first sensor 411 and a second first sensor 412. As shown in FIG. 18, it is a state of angular offset of the goods, and before taking the goods, the first first sensor 411 is triggered, and the second first sensor 412 is not triggered.

[0208] Exemplarily, FIG. 19 is still another schematic view of the positional relationship between a carrying device and goods according to an embodiment of the present application, and the carrying device in FIG. 19 comprises a first first sensor 411 and a second first sensor 412. As shown in FIG. 19, it is a state of horizontal offset of the goods, and before taking the goods, the first first sensor 411 is triggered, and the second first sensor 412 is not triggered.

[0209] Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 are both the state that the first first sensor 411 is triggered and the second first sensor 412 is not triggered, then the control structure moves in the first direction X towards the direction that the first first sensor 411 points to the second first sensor 412 within the first preset distance, i.e. translates to the left, until the taking condition is met.

[0210] Fig. 20 is another schematic diagram of the position relationship between the carrying device and the goods provided by the embodiment of the present application, the carrying device in Fig. 20 comprises the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412, as shown in Fig. 20, the goods is horizontally offset, before taking, the second first sensor 412 is triggered and the first first sensor 411 is not triggered. The first first sensor 411 is not triggered and the second first sensor 412 is triggered, then the control structure moves in the first direction X towards the direction that the first first sensor 411 points to the second first sensor 412 within the second preset distance, i.e. translates to the right, until the taking condition is met.

[0211] For example, the first preset distance and the second preset distance are set to 30mm, i.e. the maximum distance of the lateral movement is set to 30mm, then if the carrying device moves the maximum distance 30mm and the state that the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412 are not triggered still does not appear, the carrying robot reports an error.

[0212] In some embodiments, when the carrying device 20 comprises the first guide 22 and the second guide 23, two first sensors 41 are respectively arranged at the first end of the first guide 22 and the first end of the second guide 23. According to the triggering state of the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412, it is determined whether the carrying device 20 is offset relative to the goods. If the first first sensor 411 is not triggered and the second first sensor 412 is triggered, it is determined that the detection range of the second first sensor 412 is blocked by the goods. Since the first first sensor 411 and the second first sensor 412 are respectively installed on the first guide 22 and the second guide 23, and the first guide 22 and the second guide 23 are distributed on both sides of the support table 21 of the carrying device 20 and play a guiding role on the goods, if the second first sensor 412 is in a triggered state, when taking the goods, the goods may collide with the parts near the installation position of the second first sensor 412 on the carrying device 20 (for example, the second guide 23) during the process of being pulled back from the goods shelf to the carrying robot 100. Therefore, when the second first sensor 412 is in a triggered state, the carrying device 20 needs to move in the first direction X towards the direction in which the first first sensor 411 points to the second first sensor 412. In the fine adjustment process, the maximum adjustment distance is limited to prevent taking errors caused by excessive adjustment distance during the relative position adjustment of the carrying device 20 and the goods. When both first sensors 41 are not triggered within the limited adjustment distance, it is determined that the adjustment is completed, thereby ensuring accurate, safe and reliable taking of goods.

[0213] For the two second sensors 42, similar to the two first sensors 41, they can also be respectively arranged at the first end of the first guide 22 and the first end of the second guide 23.

[0214] FIG. 21 shows a flowchart of a taking and placing positioning method of a carrying robot according to an embodiment of the present application. The method is applied to a carrying robot or a control unit (for example, a processor) in the carrying robot. The carrying robot comprises a structure, a carrying device, and an identification device. The structure is installed on the side of a first goods shelf and can move relative to the first goods shelf in a first direction along a guide rail on the first goods shelf. The first goods shelf is provided with a second storage location. The first direction is parallel to the length direction of the first goods shelf. The carrying device is installed on the structure and can move relative to the structure in a second direction. The second direction is parallel to the height direction of the first goods shelf, that is, the second direction is generally a vertical direction. The identification device is installed on the carrying device. The carrying robot can also be any of the carrying robots in the above embodiments.

[0215] As shown in FIG. 21, the method comprises the following steps:

[0216] Step 2101: receiving a picking and placing task instruction, the picking and placing task instruction comprising a target storage location corresponding to the picking and placing task;

[0217] Step 2102: controlling the carrying device to run to the target storage location;

[0218] Step 2103: acquiring, by the recognition device, an identification code of the first storage location on the second shelf;

[0219] Wherein, each storage location on the second shelf is provided with an identification code, and the second shelf and the first shelf are relatively arranged on both sides of a lane, and the carrying robot can move in the lane;

[0220] Step 2104: adjusting and positioning the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation amount of the recognition device and the identification code to execute the picking and placing task.

[0221] Wherein, the target storage location comprises the first storage location or the second storage location. Wherein, the second storage location is symmetrically arranged with the first storage location relative to the lane.

[0222] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation amount comprises a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount.

[0223] Adjusting the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation amount of the recognition device and the identification code comprises:

[0224] Determining the first lateral deviation amount of the recognition device and the identification code;

[0225] Controlling the structural member to move in a first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount until the first lateral deviation amount between the recognition device and the identification code is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction;

[0226] Determining the first height deviation amount of the recognition device and the identification code;

[0227] Controlling the carrying device to move in a second direction according to the first height deviation amount.

[0228] Wherein, the carrying device can be controlled to move in the second direction according to the first height deviation amount until the first height deviation amount between the recognition device and the identification code is less than or equal to a height deviation threshold, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the second direction.

[0229] In some embodiments, after the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the second direction, the carrying device can move a preset distance (e.g., 10 mm) in the vertical direction to facilitate the carrying device to pick and place the goods. For example, after the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the second direction, when the carrying device needs to obtain the goods from the target storage location, the carrying device continues to move downward by a preset specific distance (e.g., 10 mm), or when the carrying device needs to place the goods on the target storage location, the carrying device continues to move upward by a preset specific distance (e.g., 10 mm).

[0230] In some embodiments, when the target storage location is the second storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount.

[0231] Based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, adjusting the position of the structure and / or the carrying device includes:

[0232] Determining a first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code.

[0233] Controlling the structure to move in the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount and a second lateral deviation amount until the lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the target storage location is less than or equal to the lateral deviation threshold, wherein the second lateral deviation amount is used to represent a deviation between the first rack and the second rack in the first direction, and the value of the second lateral deviation amount is a deviation amount between the target storage location and the identification code in the first direction.

[0234] In some embodiments, the carrying robot further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, the first sensor and the second sensor are respectively arranged at a first end and a second end of the carrying device in the direction of picking and placing goods, and the detection surfaces of the first sensor and the second sensor respectively face the first rack and the second rack.

[0235] The method further includes:

[0236] Controlling the structure to move in the first direction.

[0237] Obtaining a first identification signal obtained by the first sensor identifying the first column of the first rack, and a second identification signal obtained by the second sensor identifying the second column of the second rack.

[0238] Determining the second lateral deviation amount according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0239] In some embodiments, determining the second lateral deviation amount according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal includes:

[0240] Determining a first time at which the first identification signal is obtained and a second time at which the second identification signal is obtained.

[0241] determining a difference between the second time and the first time to obtain a sensing time difference;

[0242] determining the second lateral deviation amount according to the sensing time difference and a moving speed of the carrying robot in the first direction.

[0243] In some embodiments, determining the shelf deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal comprises:

[0244] starting to record a moving distance of the carrying robot in the first direction in response to obtaining the identification signal for the first time;

[0245] terminating the recording of the moving distance of the carrying robot in response to obtaining the identification signal for the second time, and determining the recorded moving distance as the second lateral deviation amount; wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0246] In some embodiments, determining the shelf deviation according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal comprises:

[0247] controlling the structural member to move in the first direction;

[0248] determining a third lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining the identification signal for the first time;

[0249] determining a fourth lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining the identification signal for the second time;

[0250] determining the second lateral deviation amount according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount; wherein the identification signal obtained for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal obtained for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

[0251] In some embodiments, the first shelf comprises a plurality of first uprights, and the second shelf comprises a plurality of second uprights, a plurality of storage locations are arranged between every two first uprights, and the second lateral deviation amount obtained by the set of first uprights and second uprights is applied to the plurality of storage locations.

[0252] In some embodiments, the carrying robot further comprises a first sensor group, the first sensor group comprises two first sensors, the two first sensors are arranged at the first end of the carrying device in the first direction with a spacing, and the detection surfaces of the two first sensors face the first shelf or the second shelf.

[0253] After the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device is adjusted based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, the method further comprises:

[0254] acquire a third identification signal and a fourth identification signal of the two first sensors respectively;

[0255] determine whether the two first sensors are triggered according to the third identification signal and the fourth identification signal;

[0256] adjust the carrying device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered.

[0257] In some embodiments, the two first sensors include a first first sensor and a second first sensor; and adjusting the carrying device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered includes:

[0258] if the first first sensor is triggered and the second first sensor is not triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction to the direction in which the first first sensor points to the second first sensor within a first preset distance until the two first sensors are not triggered;

[0259] if the first first sensor is not triggered and the second first sensor is triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction to the direction in which the second first sensor points to the first first sensor within a second preset distance until the two first sensors are not triggered.

[0260] In some embodiments, before adjusting the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, the method further includes:

[0261] determining the center point coordinates of the identification code;

[0262] acquiring the center point coordinates of the identification device;

[0263] calculating the offset amount between the center point coordinates of the identification code and the center point coordinates of the identification device to obtain the first deviation amount.

[0264] The specific implementation process and beneficial effects of the above-mentioned pick-and-place positioning method of the carrying robot can refer to the foregoing embodiments of the carrying robot, which will not be described one by one here.

[0265] FIG. 22 shows a structural schematic diagram of a carrying robot provided by an embodiment of the present application, and the specific implementation of the carrying robot is not limited in the specific embodiments of the present application.

[0266] As shown in FIG. 22, the carrying robot 100 can include a processor 2202 and a memory 2204.

[0267] The processor 2202 is configured to execute the computer program 2206, and particularly can execute the related steps in the above-mentioned picking and placing positioning method for a carrying robot.

[0268] Specifically, the computer program 2206 can include computer executable instructions.

[0269] The processor 2202 can be a central processing unit (CPU), or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or one or more integrated circuits configured to implement one or more embodiments of the present application. The one or more processors included in the electronic device can be the same type of processor, such as one or more CPUs, or different types of processors, such as one or more CPUs and one or more ASICs.

[0270] The memory 2204 is configured to store the computer program 2206. The memory 2204 can include a high-speed RAM memory, and can also include a non-volatile memory, such as at least one disk memory.

[0271] The embodiments of the present application provide a computer readable storage medium, and the storage medium stores at least one executable instruction. When the executable instruction is run on the electronic device, the electronic device performs the operation of the picking and placing positioning method for a carrying robot as in the above embodiments. The computer readable storage medium is a non-volatile storage medium.

[0272] The embodiments of the present application provide a computer program product, which includes a computer program. When the computer program is executed by a processor, the operation of the picking and placing positioning method for a carrying robot as in the above embodiments is implemented.

[0273] The embodiments of the present application provide a computer program. The computer program can be invoked by a processor to make the electronic device perform the operation of the picking and placing positioning method for a carrying robot as in the above embodiments.

[0274] The algorithms and displays provided herein are not inherently related to any particular computer, virtual system, or other apparatus. Various general purpose systems can be used with these teachings, or with modifications that take into account the teachings herein. In view of the description above, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the constructions required can be implemented in a manner that is most convenient for a particular purpose. Furthermore, embodiments of the present application are not necessarily restricted to any particular programming language. It will be appreciated that there are many alternatives that can be practiced with the present application, and the examples given are exemplary. It is intended to include all such alternatives within the scope of the present application.

[0275] In the description provided herein, numerous specific details are set forth. However, it is understood that embodiments of the application can be practiced without these specific details. In some instances, well-known methods, structures and techniques have not been described in detail in order not to obscure the understanding of this description.

[0276] Similarly, it is to be understood that the description of the example embodiments of the application provided above is sometimes in the form of exemplary descriptions of various features of the application, and, as such, the inventors describe their own work in what they believe to be the most useful and intelligible form. However, the application is not limited to the features enumerated for the exemplary embodiments. It is to be understood that not necessarily all objects or advantages can be achieved in accordance with any particular embodiment described herein and thus not necessarily all embodiments described herein will be practiced.

[0277] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the modules in the devices in the embodiments can be adapted and arranged in one or more devices other than the embodiments. The modules or units or components in the embodiments can be combined into one module or unit or component, and can be divided into a plurality of sub-modules or sub-units or sub-components. In addition to at least some of such features and / or processes or units being mutually exclusive, all features disclosed in the specification (including the claims, abstract and drawings) and all processes or units of any methods or apparatuses so disclosed can be combined in any combination, except where otherwise explicitly stated. Unless otherwise explicitly stated, each feature disclosed in the specification (including the claims, abstract and drawings) can be replaced by an alternative feature serving the same, equivalent or a similar purpose.

[0278] It is noted that the foregoing examples have been provided merely for the purpose of explanation and are in no way to be construed as limiting of the present application. While the application has been described with reference to preferred embodiments, it is understood that the words which have been used herein are words of description and illustration, rather than words of limitation. Changes can be made, within the purview of the appended claims, as presently set forth, without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application in its aspects. The appended claims are intended to cover and embrace all such changes. In the claims, means-plus-function or step-plus-function clauses are used where for clarity every function-asserting clause contains limitations that set out the essential features of the function, regardless of using predetermined expressions. The use of certain terms in the claims is understood to be optional apart from statutory requirements.

Claims

1. A transport robot, characterized in that, The application relates to a warehouse robot, comprising: a structure configured to be mounted on a side of a first rack and capable of moving relative to the first rack in a first direction along a guide rail on the first rack, wherein the first direction is parallel to the length direction of the first rack, and a second storage location is arranged on the first rack; a carrying device mounted on the structure and capable of moving relative to the structure in a second direction parallel to the height direction of the first rack; and an identification device mounted on the carrying device and used for acquiring an identification code of a first storage location on a second rack, wherein each storage location on the second rack is provided with the identification code, and the second rack and the first rack are arranged on two sides of a lane relative to each other; wherein when a pick-and-place task is performed on a target storage location, the warehouse robot is configured to adjust the position of the structure and / or the carrying device based at least in part on a first deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code, the target storage location comprising the first storage location or the second storage location, and the second storage location being arranged symmetrically to the first storage location relative to the lane.

2. The transport robot of claim 1, wherein, When the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation amount comprises a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount. The warehouse robot is configured to: determine the first lateral deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code; and control the structure to move in the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount until the first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction. determine the first height deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code; and control the carrying device to move in the second direction according to the first height deviation amount.

3. The transport robot of claim 1, wherein, When the target storage location is the second storage location, the first deviation amount comprises a first lateral deviation amount, and the warehouse robot is configured to: determine the first lateral deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code; and control the structure to move in the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount and a second lateral deviation amount until the lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the target storage location is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, wherein the second lateral deviation amount is used to represent the deviation between the first rack and the second rack in the first direction, and the value of the second lateral deviation amount is the deviation amount between the target storage location and the identification code in the first direction.

4. The transport robot according to claim 3, characterized in that The warehouse robot further comprises a first sensor and a second sensor, wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are arranged at a first end and a second end of the carrying device in a pick-and-place direction, respectively, and the detection surfaces of the first sensor and the second sensor face the first rack and the second rack, respectively. The first sensor is configured to identify a first column of the first shelf to obtain a first identification signal when the structure moves along the first direction, and the second sensor is configured to identify a second column of the second shelf to obtain a second identification signal when the structure moves along the first direction, so that the second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

5. The transport robot of claim 4, wherein, The transfer robot is further configured to: determine a first time at which the first identification signal is obtained and a second time at which the second identification signal is obtained, determine a difference between the second time and the first time to obtain a sensing time difference, and determine the second lateral deviation amount according to the sensing time difference and a moving speed of the transfer robot in the first direction.

6. The transport robot of claim 4, wherein, The transfer robot is further configured to: start recording a moving distance of the transfer robot in the first direction in response to obtaining an identification signal for the first time, and terminate recording the moving distance of the transfer robot in response to obtaining an identification signal for the second time, and determine the recorded moving distance as the second lateral deviation amount. The first identification signal and the second identification signal are obtained for the first time and the second time, respectively.

7. The transport robot of claim 4, wherein, The transfer robot is further configured to: control the structure to move along the first direction, determine a third lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining an identification signal for the first time, determine a fourth lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code in response to obtaining an identification signal for the second time, and determine the second lateral deviation amount according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount. The first identification signal and the second identification signal are obtained for the first time and the second time, respectively.

8. A handling robot according to any of claims 4-7, characterised in that The first shelf includes a plurality of first columns, and the second shelf includes a plurality of second columns, a plurality of storage locations are arranged between every two first columns, and the second lateral deviation amount obtained by the first column and the second column is applied to the plurality of storage locations.

9. A handling robot according to any of claims 1-3, characterized in that, The transfer robot further includes a first sensor group, and the first sensor group includes two first sensors, which are arranged at a first end of the transfer device along the first direction. The detection surfaces of the two first sensors face the first shelf or the second shelf, and are configured to perform offset detection on the goods in the second storage location or the first storage location. The transfer robot is configured to control the structure to move in the first direction according to the detection data of the offset detection, so as to adjust the position of the transfer device relative to the goods.

10. The transport robot of claim 9, wherein, The carrying robot is configured to determine a triggering state of the two first sensors according to the identification signals of the two first sensors, and control the structural member to move in the first direction within a preset distance to a position where the two first sensors are both in a non-triggering state according to the triggering state of the two first sensors, wherein the triggering state includes a triggered state or a non-triggered state.

11. The transport robot of claim 9, wherein, The carrying device includes a device body, the device body including a supporting table for supporting the goods, and a first guide and a second guide distributed on both sides of the supporting table. The two first sensors are respectively arranged at first ends of the first guide and the second guide.

12. The transport robot of claim 9, wherein, The carrying device further includes a second sensor group including two second sensors, the second sensor group being symmetrically arranged with the first sensor group along a goods taking and placing direction of the carrying device, and the two second sensors being arranged at a second end of the carrying device in the first direction.

13. A method of positioning a load by a transfer robot, characterized by, The method is applied to a carrying robot, the carrying robot including a structural member, a carrying device, and an identification device, the structural member being installed at a side of a first goods shelf and being capable of moving in a first direction relative to the first goods shelf along a guide rail on the first goods shelf, the first direction being parallel to a length direction of the first goods shelf; the carrying device being installed on the structural member and being capable of moving relative to the structural member in a second direction, the second direction being parallel to a height direction of the first goods shelf; The identification device is installed on the carrying device; the method includes: receiving a goods taking and placing task instruction, the goods taking and placing task instruction including a target storage location corresponding to a goods taking and placing task; controlling the carrying device to run to the target storage location; acquiring, by the identification device, an identification code of a first storage location on a second goods shelf, the second goods shelf and the first goods shelf being oppositely arranged on both sides of a lane; adjusting and positioning a position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on a first deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code to execute the goods taking and placing task, wherein the target storage location includes the first storage location or a second storage location, the second storage location being symmetrically arranged with the first storage location relative to the lane.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein, When the target storage location is the first storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount and a first height deviation amount. The adjusting of the position of the structural member and / or the carrying device based at least in part on the first deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code includes: determining the first lateral deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code; controlling the structural member to move in the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount until a first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold value, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the first direction; determining the first height deviation amount of the identification device from the identification code; and controlling the structural member to move in the second direction according to the first height deviation amount until a second height deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is less than or equal to a height deviation threshold value, so that the carrying device is aligned with the target storage location in the second direction. The carrying device is controlled to move along the second direction according to the first height deviation amount.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein, When the target storage location is the second storage location, the first deviation amount includes a first lateral deviation amount. The position of the structure and / or the carrying device is adjusted based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, including: The first lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is determined. The structure is controlled to move along the first direction according to the first lateral deviation amount and a second lateral deviation amount until the lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the target storage location is less than or equal to a lateral deviation threshold, wherein the second lateral deviation amount is used to represent a deviation between the first rack and the second rack in the first direction, and the value of the second lateral deviation amount is a deviation amount between the target storage location and the identification code in the first direction.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein, The carrying robot further includes a first sensor and a second sensor, which are respectively arranged at a first end and a second end of the carrying device in a direction of picking and placing goods, and the detection surfaces of the first sensor and the second sensor respectively face the first rack and the second rack. The method further includes: The structure is controlled to move along the first direction. A first identification signal obtained by the first sensor identifying a first column of the first rack and a second identification signal obtained by the second sensor identifying a second column of the second rack are acquired. The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal, including: A first time at which the first identification signal is acquired and a second time at which the second identification signal is acquired are determined. A difference between the second time and the first time is determined to obtain a sensing time difference. The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the sensing time difference and a moving speed of the carrying robot in the first direction.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal, including: In response to acquiring an identification signal for the first time, a moving distance of the carrying robot in the first direction is started to be recorded; In response to acquiring an identification signal for the second time, the recording of the moving distance of the carrying robot is terminated, and the recorded moving distance is determined as the second lateral deviation amount; wherein the identification signal acquired for the first time is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the identification signal acquired for the second time is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein, The second lateral deviation amount is determined according to the first identification signal and the second identification signal, including: The structure is controlled to move along the first direction. In response to acquiring an identification signal for the first time, a third lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is determined; In response to acquiring an identification signal for the second time, a fourth lateral deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code is determined; determining the second lateral deviation amount according to the third lateral deviation amount and the fourth lateral deviation amount; wherein the first time acquired identification signal is one of the first identification signal and the second identification signal, and the second time acquired identification signal is the other of the first identification signal and the second identification signal.

20. The method according to any one of claims 16-19, characterized by, The first shelf includes a plurality of first uprights, and the second shelf includes a plurality of second uprights. A plurality of storage locations are arranged between every two first uprights. The second lateral deviation amount obtained by the first uprights and the second uprights is applied to the plurality of storage locations.

21. The method according to any one of claims 13-15, characterized in that, The transfer robot further includes a first sensor group, which includes two first sensors arranged at a first end of the transfer device in the first direction. Detection surfaces of the two first sensors face the first shelf or the second shelf. After the position of the structural member and / or the transfer device is adjusted based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, the method further includes: respectively acquiring third identification signals and fourth identification signals of the two first sensors; determining whether the two first sensors are triggered according to the third identification signals and the fourth identification signals; adjusting the transfer device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein, The two first sensors include a first first sensor and a second first sensor. The adjusting the transfer device according to whether the two first sensors are triggered includes: if the first first sensor is triggered and the second first sensor is not triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction within a first preset distance towards a direction in which the first first sensor points to the second first sensor until the two first sensors are not triggered; if the first first sensor is not triggered and the second first sensor is triggered, controlling the structural member to move in the first direction within a second preset distance towards a direction in which the second first sensor points to the first first sensor until the two first sensors are not triggered.

23. The method of claim 13, wherein, Before the position of the structural member and / or the transfer device is adjusted based at least in part on the first deviation amount between the identification device and the identification code, the method further includes: determining a center point coordinate of the identification code; acquiring a center point coordinate of the identification device; calculating a deviation amount between the center point coordinate of the identification code and the center point coordinate of the identification device to obtain the first deviation amount.

24. A transport robot characterized by comprise: at least one processor and a memory; the memory stores computer-executable instructions; the at least one processor executes the computer-executable instructions stored in the memory, so that the at least one processor performs the positioning method of the transfer robot according to any one of claims 13-23.

25. A warehousing system characterized by comprise a first shelf, a second shelf, and a transfer robot; the second shelf and the first shelf are arranged opposite to each other on both sides of a lane; The first shelf comprises a second storage location, and the first shelf is provided with a guide rail in a first direction, which is parallel to the length direction of the first shelf; Each storage location of the second shelf is provided with an identification code, and the second shelf comprises a first storage location, and the second storage location is symmetrically arranged with the first storage location relative to the aisle; The transfer robot comprises a structural member, a transfer device and an identification device; the structural member is installed on the side of the first shelf and can move relative to the first shelf in the first direction along the guide rail of the first shelf; the transfer device is installed on the structural member and can move relative to the structural member in a second direction, which is parallel to the height direction of the first shelf; the identification device is installed on the transfer device and is used to acquire the identification code of the first storage location; when a target storage location is executed to perform a picking and placing task, the transfer robot is configured to adjust the position of the structural member and / or the transfer device based on at least part of the first deviation amount of the identification device and the identification code of the first storage location, and the target storage location comprises the first storage location or the second storage location.

26. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that, The computer readable storage medium stores computer execution instructions, and when the processor executes the computer execution instructions, the picking and placing positioning method of the transfer robot is realized.

27. A computer program product comprising a computer program, characterized in that, The computer program is executed by the processor to realize the picking and placing positioning method of the transfer robot.

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