Autonomous Delivery Vehicles for Efficient Item Sorting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing material handling systems for sorting and retrieving items are either very expensive or have limitations that hamper their effectiveness, making it laborious and time-consuming to fill customer orders from extensive storage areas.
Innovation Solution
A material handling system comprising a plurality of storage locations, a track guiding delivery vehicles, and a controller that independently controls each vehicle to retrieve items from storage locations and present them to an operator at an output station, allowing for efficient sorting and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual sorting and retrieving methods are used, then labor flexibility is maintained, but productivity is low and labor costs are high
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the storage facility into multiple storage locations arranged in rows and columns, with each location independently accessible. Delivery vehicles are segmented into individual autonomous units that can operate independently, allowing parallel processing of multiple items simultaneously, thereby increasing productivity without requiring a monolithic complex system
Solution Approach 2:
Each delivery vehicle is equipped with its own onboard motor and controller, enabling it to autonomously navigate to storage locations, retrieve items, and return to the output station without requiring centralized mechanical control. This self-service capability simplifies the overall system architecture while maintaining high productivity through autonomous operation
2Productivity
If automated picking systems are implemented, then productivity increases, but device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The delivery vehicles are designed as universal platforms that can transport various types of items to different storage locations and back to the output station. The same vehicle design handles multiple tasks including item retrieval, transportation, and delivery, reducing the need for specialized equipment for each function and thereby reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic control where the controller independently manages each delivery vehicle's movements and operations in real-time. Vehicles can dynamically adjust their paths and timing based on current system state, allowing flexible automation that adapts to varying order requirements without requiring rigid, complex mechanical structures
3Quantity of substance
If multiple storage locations are arranged in extensive arrays, then storage capacity increases, but time to retrieve items increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple delivery vehicles operate simultaneously and continuously on the track system, with each vehicle independently retrieving items from different storage locations. This parallel continuous operation ensures that while one vehicle serves distant storage locations, others serve closer locations, maintaining constant throughput and reducing average retrieval time across the entire system
Solution Approach 2:
Storage locations are arranged in a two-dimensional array with rows and columns, and delivery vehicles can access any location by traveling along the track system that spans both dimensions. This spatial organization allows efficient routing where vehicles can service multiple locations in sequence along their path, effectively utilizing the two-dimensional storage layout to minimize total travel time while maximizing storage capacity
Data Source
AI summary
A method and apparatus are provided for sorting or retrieving items to/from a plurality of destinations areas. The items are loaded onto one of a plurality of independently controlled delivery vehicles. The delivery vehicles follow a track that guides the delivery vehicles to/from the destination areas, which are positioned along the track. Once at the appropriate destination area, an item is transferred between the delivery vehicle and the destination area.