Centralized Fleet Task Assignment for Human-Robot Warehouses
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing warehouse and distribution center systems face challenges in efficiently managing automated guided vehicles (AGVs) and human workers in shared environments, leading to suboptimal operational performance due to inflexible infrastructure and scalability issues.
Innovation Solution
A fleet management system that assigns tasks to both human and robotic agents based on their capabilities, location, and availability, using a centralized platform to optimize task allocation and enhance productivity, safety, and efficiency in environments like warehouses and distribution centers.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multiple separate platforms are used to manage AGVs and human workers, then specialized management for each agent type is achieved, but communication overhead increases and operational performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges previously separate management platforms for AGVs and human workers into a single unified fleet management system. This consolidation eliminates the need for multiple separate communication channels and platforms, reducing communication overhead while improving operational performance through integrated task assignment and coordination.
Solution Approach 2:
The unified fleet management system performs multiple functions previously handled by separate systems: it manages both AGV and human worker assignments, tracks their locations and statuses, coordinates task execution, and optimizes fleet utilization. This multi-functional approach replaces multiple specialized platforms with one universal system.
2Extent of automation
If AGVs are deployed to perform various tasks, then automation capability is improved, but infrastructure modification requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces physical infrastructure modifications with a software-based fleet management system. Instead of requiring substantial infrastructure changes to support AGVs, the system uses virtual coordination and digital task management to enable automated operations, substituting mechanical/physical complexity with information-based management.
3Extent of automation
If existing facilities are configured to handle AGVs, then automated task execution is enabled, but scalability and updateability are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The fleet management system is designed to be dynamic and adaptable, allowing facilities to scale automation capabilities as needed. The system can accommodate varying numbers of AGVs and human workers, adjust task assignments in real-time, and integrate new technologies without requiring rigid infrastructure configurations, thereby enabling scalable automated task execution.
Data Source
AI summary
A fleet management system may create and manage tasks within an environment associated with fulfilling, sorting, inducting, and/or distributing packages, such as a warehouse, packaging facility, sortation center, or distribution center. The fleet management system may assign the tasks to agents within the environment. Each of the agents may have capabilities or tasks that the agents are configured to perform and the fleet management system may use these capabilities to assign the tasks to the agents. Additionally, tasks may be assigned based on a location of the agents within the environment. As tasks are generated, the fleet management system may determine a suitable agent to perform the task and may transmit instructions to the agent for carrying out the task. The fleet management system may provide a centralized platform to manage agents, optimize the assignment of tasks, and increase productivity within the environments.