Autonomous Tote Conveyance Cart for Priority-Based Loading
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Solution Overview
Problem
The manual transportation of totes from storage locations to pickup points is time-consuming and labor-intensive, lacking efficiency in the existing solutions.
Innovation Solution
A smart container conveyance system that includes a cart with shelves, sensor devices for identification, and actuator devices for automated movement, along with a robotic towing device for self-propulsion and navigation, enabling autonomous loading and unloading of totes into and from a container storage system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual transportation of totes is used, then simplicity of operation is maintained, but productivity and time efficiency deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The cart system performs self-navigation to the induction station, self-identification through sensor scanning of tote IDs, and self-execution of loading/unloading operations. The robotic towing device autonomously maneuvers the cart without human intervention, while the actuator devices automatically transfer totes based on controller commands, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating the need for manual labor.
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations are replaced with an automated control system. The cart controller receives sensor data, processes tote identification information, and sends commands to actuator devices for automated tote manipulation. The robotic towing device uses sensors and control algorithms instead of manual steering, and actuator devices use automated mechanisms instead of human hands for loading and unloading.
2Productivity
If automated sensor scanning and actuator devices are used, then productivity improves, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The smart cart integrates multiple functions into a single platform: it serves as a mobile storage unit with shelves, a navigation vehicle with robotic towing capability, an identification system with sensor devices for scanning tote IDs, and an automated manipulation system with actuator devices. The cart controller coordinates all these functions, allowing one device to perform what previously required multiple separate systems and manual operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent combines the towing device, cart, sensor scanning system, actuator devices, and control system into an integrated automated conveyance platform. The robotic towing device attaches to the cart, which carries shelves for totes, sensor devices for identification, and actuator devices for loading/unloading. All components are merged into a coordinated system managed by the cart controller, reducing the need for separate manual operations and infrastructure.
3Loss of time
If manual tote handling is used, then ease of operation is maintained, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The automated system enables continuous operation without the interruptions inherent in manual handling. The robotic towing device can continuously navigate carts to induction stations, sensor devices continuously scan and identify totes, and actuator devices continuously load and unload totes based on controller commands. This eliminates the start-stop nature of manual operations where workers must physically move between locations and handle each tote individually, maintaining a steady flow of tote induction.
Data Source
AI summary
Examples provide a tote conveyance system for autonomously conveying totes from a storage system to a pickup/receiving area via smart container transport carts. The smart container conveyance cart aligns with the induction station on the storage system. The system utilizes actuators to move totes onto the cart from an induction station on the storage system or move totes off the cart into the induction station. Loading or unloading of totes are performed in accordance with priorities assigned based on cold-chain compliance temperature thresholds associated with the contents of the totes, weights of the totes, and destination of totes.